


You Asked For It

by thetomkatwholived



Series: Tumblr Prompts [2]
Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: Babysitting, First Dates, Hurt/Comfort, Jealousy, M/M, Moving In Together, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Protectiveness, Racism, Tumblr Ask Box Fic, Tumblr Prompt, episode speculation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-27
Updated: 2019-03-25
Packaged: 2019-09-28 08:15:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 21,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17179235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thetomkatwholived/pseuds/thetomkatwholived
Summary: A series of Tumblr prompts.





	1. I Still Get Jealous

**Author's Note:**

> A couple of days ago, I asked for some prompts on Tumblr and wrote a few ficlets inspired by them. They're all posted on my Tumblr, but I figured I'd drop them here too!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi gets hit on. Nico gets jealous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I asked for prompts on Tumblr and [margaritafariasw](https://margaritafariasw.tumblr.com/) sent in this prompt: How about jealous Nico?? Or Levi being seriously hurt?
> 
> I went with a jealous Nico because I think a seriously hurt Levi would have to be a longer fic. I'll probably get to that soon!

Nico Kim understood he was attractive, but he would not be his own type. While he was tall and muscled, he preferred someone shorter and softer that he could wrap in his arms and protect. Not that Levi Schmitt, the man Nico found himself drawn to, needed any protecting. He was fierce and strong in his own way, and Nico knew he was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. But he was a fair bit shorter than Nico and the taller man liked being able to tuck his chin on the other man’s head and hold him close.

Levi did not think he was attractive. He didn’t know about the magic his soft, green eyes held, nor did he understand how his smile would light up his whole face and make him utterly captivating. Therefore, it was no surprise that he was oblivious to the flirtations of the twenty-something man in their care, currently nursing a broken wrist. But Nico noticed. And he didn’t like it.

“Do you always wear those glasses?”

“Oh, um, I need them to see. So yeah. I always wear them.” Levi seemed surprised to be addressed, as he was often overlooked as an intern.

“It’s such a crime to hide those eyes.” Nico balled his fists at his side. Yes, Levi had amazing eyes. But this man didn’t need to point that out in such a flirtatious tone.

Levi huffed out a laugh. “They’re still there. Just doing their job better this way.”

“Well, they’re still incredible.” The man rested his uninjured hand on Levi’s arm, somewhat awkwardly due to Levi being a bit of a distance away.

Nico cleared his throat. “We’ll need to take you up for X-rays. I’ll call in a nurse to bring you there.”

Levi furrowed his brows. “I can do it. I normally would.”

The patient perked up. “Yeah, Dr. Schmitt here can take me. He seems very capable.”

Levi, not expecting such words of confidence, beamed at the patient. Nico scowled and assertively responded: “No, I need Dr. Schmitt to help me with another patient. He’s busy right now.”

Levi and the patient were both taken aback by Nico’s insistence. “Oh, okay. Yeah, I can help you. I’ll see you when you get back!” Levi waved to the patient as he and Nico left the room. The patient enthusiastically waved back, apparently incredibly excited by the prospect of seeing Levi again.

***

“He was flirting with you.” Nico and Levi were now the nurses’ station, reviewing patient charts.

Levi, who was looking down at a chart, looked up in surprise. “What?”

“The patient. He was flirting with you.” Nico tried to keep his tone even, but he knew his frustration was evident.

Levi gave a laugh. “No he wasn’t! You were there! Who’s flirting with me with you’re around?”

Nico frowned. “Levi, you don’t get it. You’re… so handsome. And sweet. And he’s right, your eyes are a masterpiece.”

Levi swallowed. “But I’m not… I’m not you.”

“You’re better. You’re so much better.”

“Are you… jealous?”

Nico shrugged. “I’m the first guy you’ve been with. How do you know if I’m really what you want? It’s only a matter of time before someone else comes along and you realize you can do so much better. Maybe it’s that guy.” Nico dropped his head, unwilling to look in Levi’s eyes.

Levi laughed, big and full. Nico flushed, not appreciating being mocked. “How could you think that? You’re… Nico.” Levi tilted his head, trying to catch Nico’s eye. “You’re smart and kind and caring and you look like… that. You make me feel special and important and confident. Some patient who compliments my eyes and touches my arm is not going to change my mind about you.”

Before Nico could respond, a nurse let him know his patient had come back from getting his X-rays. As they made their way down the hall, Levi grabbed Nico’s hand. Nico looked down surprised and then noticed Levi’s little smirk out of the corner of his eye. As they entered the room, they detached their hands, but not before the patient saw and gave a disappointed look. Nico couldn’t help the bit of smugness he felt. He had no doubt that Levi would be hit on again. But he also knew that maybe he didn’t have much to worry about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to find me on Tumblr at [theswiftiewholived](https://theswiftiewholived.tumblr.com/)!


	2. Make This Place Your Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico proposes a plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This prompt was sent in by butterfly76578: Prompt: Levi moving in with Nico.

“Ugh!” Levi Schmitt could not mask his exasperation.

“Wha… what happened?” Nico Kim, who had come off a 15 hour shift the day before, had been fast asleep before his boyfriend’s outburst stirred him.

“No, baby, sorry. Go back to sleep. It’s nothing.” Levi cooed.

Nico sat up, rubbed his eyes, and yawned. “No, I’m up now. What’s wrong?”

Levi sighed. “It’s nothing. I just realized I forgot to pack clean underwear last night, before I came over. So I’m either going to have to wear an old pair or go commando.”

Nico chuckled. “I wouldn’t be opposed to that second option.”

“Okay Mr. Sex Crazy, I have to go to work.”

Nico grabbed him around the middle and pulled him onto the bed. “No, stay with me. We don’t need clothes.” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“Some of us don’t have the day off.” Levi stood up and looked through his bag again. “Ah, I forgot my toothbrush too! Remind me not to pack my overnight bag after a 20 hour shift.”

Nico had been trying, for a while, to broach the topic of moving in together. Now seemed as good a time as any. “Or, you could just take all your stuff here one night and leave it.”

Levi, who was frantically rummaging through his bag, paused and looked up. “What? What are you saying?”

“I’m saying, move in with me. You spend almost every night here anyway. And this way you won’t have to worry about forgetting something essential. We’ve been together for almost a year and I certainly see no end in sight. So I’m saying you should move in with me.”

Levi stared, open-mouthed, at Nico. “Really? Are you sure? I don’t want to… intrude on your space.”

“You could never. C’mon, don’t you wanna finally move out of your mom’s basement? You’re making better money now, and we would split the rent.”

“But, what about my stuff? Like, my nerd stuff? Are you really going to want Lord of the Rings posters and Harry Potter Funko Pops cluttering up your bachelor pad?”

“1. Not a bachelor pad. I’m so not a bachelor. And 2. It would be our home. We would decorate it however we wanted. If you wanted to hang your posters and display your figures, I’d be more than happy with that. As long as you felt at home, I would feel at home.”

“You’re serious? You want to take this step?”

“So much. I want to come home to you. And I want you to come home to me. I want to cook you dinner when we both have the time and wake up next to you everyday. I want our socks to share a drawer and get all mixed up and I want to share shampoo. I want this to be our place, not just my place”

Levi lowered himself onto the bed next to Nico and grabbed his hand. “It all sounds so domestic.”

“I want domestic if it’s with you.” Nico raised their joined hands to his mouth and gave Levi’s hand a small kiss. Levi beamed.

“Okay.” Levi whispered.

“Yes!” Nico tackled the smaller man into a hug and smothered his face with kisses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to find me on Tumblr at [theswiftiewholived](https://theswiftiewholived.tumblr.com/)!


	3. Knight in Shining Scrubs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico deserves to be where he is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [margaritafariasw](https://margaritafariasw.tumblr.com/) sent in the following prompt: How about a patient being really racist to Nico and Levi stepping up?
> 
> It's a bit of a heavier topic and I hope I handled it well.

Herman Falmouth was coming in for a knee replacement surgery today. Levi Schmitt knew this because Nico Kim would not shut up about it. This surgery was the first time Nico would be taking the lead on a surgery since he started his fellowship at Grey Sloan. Atticus Lincoln, his attending, decided that this procedure was routine enough that he felt confident putting his fellow in charge. Link had also insisted that Levi be the intern to scrub in on the surgery because Nico tended to do his best work when he was trying to impress his… guy he was dating.

The three entered Herman’s room, ready to prep him for the procedure.

“Hello, Mr. Falmouth. I’m Dr. Kim, this is Dr. Lincoln and Dr. Schmitt, and we will be working on your knee today. Before I jump into my spiel, any questions?” Nico had put on his patient voice, which was a bit higher and louder than his typical low tamber.

Herman flitted his eyes among the three doctors before asking: “Which one of you’s my doctor?”

“Well, sir, we are all your doctors.” Nico tried to explained.

“But Dr. Kim here,” Link patted Nico’s shoulder. “will be the lead on your surgery.” Levi could see Nico trying to suppress a proud smile.

Herman looked at Nico for a moment before scoffing and declaring a harsh “Pass.”

Nico’s smile faltered. “I… I’m sorry, sir, pass?”

“Yes, pass. I don’t want the Affirmative Action hire messing around in my body. Is this some kind of reparation for World War II?”

Nico looked taken aback and confused. Unthinking, Levi piped up, in a stern voice: “Sir, he is an incredibly capable surgeon. You’re lucky to have him. And he’s not Japanese.” He added that last part as a bit of an afterthought.

“Japanese, Chinese, it’s all the same to me.” All three doctors raised their eyebrows as high as they could go.

Noticing how utterly dejected Nico now looked, Levi couldn’t help but defend him. “Dr. Kim is a better surgeon than most in the country. He would not be here otherwise. He is attentive and smart and knows this surgery like the back of his hand. He has worked hard for everything he has and deserves to be here as much, if not more, than myself and Dr. Lincoln. If you want to continue to hobble around on a bad knee, more power to you, but if you want to have this surgery, there’s literally no one better than Dr. Kim. Oh, and he’s Korean!”

All eyes in the room turned to Levi. Link wore a shocked look, Nico looked proud and a bit turned on, while Herman’s expression was harder to read.

“Well, if you feel that strongly about it, I guess he must be something. Alright son,” He addressed Nico, “tell me what I need to know.”

***

Later, after Herman had a brand new knee and the two doctors had finished their shifts, Nico and Levi were cuddled up on Nico’s couch.

“Thank you for defending my honor.” Nico leaned down to whisper in Levi’s ear. “My very own knight in shining scrubs.”

“Does that happen a lot?”

“What, a handsome man listing off all my good qualities? Nah, not too much.” Nico smirked.

Levi gave him a little shove. “You know what I mean!”

Nico turned serious. “Not a lot. But it happens. I sometimes feel as though I have to prove myself a bit more than someone else. But that was mostly in med school and my residency. This was the first time something like that has happened at Grey Sloan.”

“I’m sorry.”

Nico shrugged. “It’s not your fault. I have confidence in myself and I know I deserve to be where I am. I was just really excited for today and that put a bit of a damper on it.”

“But it went well in the end! You did perfectly, according to Link! And Herman even thanked you. Like, genuinely thanked you!”

Nico leaned down to give Levi a small kiss. “A big thanks to you. Your speech really seemed to knock some sense into him.”

Levi shrugged. “I can’t let someone talk bad about my boyfriend.” Realizing what he had said, Levi’s eyes grew wide and he tried to backtrack. “I… I mean… Um -”

Nico laced his fingers with Levi’s and gave him a smile. “You can say boyfriend. I’m your boyfriend.” They both beamed at each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to find me on Tumblr at [theswiftiewholived](https://theswiftiewholived.tumblr.com/)!


	4. First Date Jitters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico and Levi go on their first date. Nico is far more nervous than he had anticipated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This idea came from [biitchesbecrazy](http://biitchesbecrazy.tumblr.com/) who sent in the following prompt: Hello can you do one with Levi and Nico go on thier 1st date but it's Nico's whose more nervous and stuttering while Levi feels like it's the most natural thing in the world to be out in public with Nico holding hands etc pretty please 😊
> 
> I really liked the role reversal this prompt created and I hope I did it justice!

Levi Schmitt made his way into the fellows’ lounge. It had been 8 hours since he and Nico Kim had been rescued from the ambulance and the two had immediately been separated to deal with the multitude of traumas. Levi had just seen Nico make his way into the lounge and took the opportunity to talk to him alone.

“Hey, there you are.” Nico turned around, surprised by the interruption. He immediately softened when he saw who had snuck up on him. “I was hoping to find you before you left.”

Nico cleared his throat, “Well, here I am.”

“Any plans for tonight?”

“I’m going to sleep for about 15 hours before making my way back here for another shift.”

Levi stepped closer to Nico, so he had to look up to meet his eyes. “Well, would you mind only sleeping 13 hours and taking a couple hours to get dinner with me?”

Nico rubbed the back of his neck and swallowed hard, “Yeah, yeah, I think I could manage that.” Levi’s bright smile almost knocked the breath out of him.

“Great! I’m done now, so I’ll meet you at the entrance in, say, 15?”

“Uh, yeah, perfect.”

Levi changed into his street clothes, jeans and a green sweater, and made his way to the hospital entrance to meet Nico. He appeared around the corner, looking incredible in dark jeans, a blue t-shirt, and black leather jacket. Levi smiled wide at his date, who gave a small smile in return, blushing slightly.

“You, uh, you look amazing. That color just… your eyes… it looks really good on you.” Nico, who was typically composed and confident, was seemingly flustered by the other man.

Levi beamed, “Thank you! And you look great too! I thought we could go to one of my favorite sushi restaurants downtown. I hope that’s okay?” Levi reached down and grabbed Nico’s hand.

Nico, who was intently staring at their joined hands, broke out of his reverie and nodded his head. “Yeah, that’s great… perfect. Yes, let’s do that.”

Levi chuckled and pulled Nico outside and into his car. They made idle chit-chat on the drive over, reviewing their patients from that day. Nico was normally quiet, but he seemed even quieter on the ride. But Levi wasn’t bothered; Nico wasn’t acting uninterested, just content with allowing Levi to take control of the conversation. They parked and Nico rushed to open Levi’s door for him, earning him a bright smile and an intertwining of fingers.

Levi led them into the restaurant and greeted the hostess warmly, as though they were old friends.

“And who might this be?” She asked, eyeing Nico and twirling her hair.

“Uh, Nico Kim.” Nico awkwardly answered.

“Back off, Ashley, this is our first date.” Levi jokingly scolded while lifting their joined hands to show Ashley the proof.

Ashley whistled. “Whoa, nice job, Levi! Alright, let’s get you two seated.”

The two men got settled in and ordered their food, before Levi placed his hand over Nico’s on the table and gave him a small smile. Nico just gulped and turned his hand over to properly hold Levi’s, whose smile increased.

“Thanks for agreeing to come out with me tonight. I know it’s been a long day, but I just wanted to have this date as soon as possible.”

Levi’s soft sincerity and charming smile were making Nico a bit short of breath, but he managed to return the smile. “I was surprised you asked me. But, uh, definitely excited. Yeah, I was really glad you asked.”

Levi stroked the back of Nico’s hand with his thumb, which caused goosebumps to blossom on Nico’s arm and a blush to grow on his cheeks. “Yeah? I was a bit nervous to ask, but once I saw you, all the nerves went away. I still had butterflies, but, I don’t know, you make me feel confident.”

Nico looked into Levi’s eyes with an unreadable expression. “I… um… I’m glad.”

Levi considered him for a moment. “Are you okay?”

“You… you make me nervous. I’ve been into you for a while. Like, months at this point. And I can flirt. You know, send you some winks, buy you drinks. I didn’t mean for that to rhyme. Anyway. When I kissed you, it just felt right. But then I stupidly rejected you and thought I’d never have a shot with you again. Today was… when you… your speech made me realize we had a chance. That this could be something. But I’m so scared that I’ll screw up again or you’ll find someone else or decide I’m not enough. I want to enjoy this, but I’m… it’s scary.”

“You don’t think I’m scared too? Of course I am! But you’re into me. I know that now. And I’m into you. So I’m going to let myself enjoy whatever this becomes. We don’t know the future, but I can promise you that you will always be enough. And I can’t imagine there being someone better than you. And maybe you will screw up. Or maybe I will. Or maybe we both will. Or neither of us will! And we’ll just be happy together. I’m scared, sure, but I’m so excited. Aren’t you so excited?”

Nico smiled. “Yeah, I’m really excited.”

Levi let go of Nico’s hand and placed both of his hands on the table to brace himself as he leaned up and over to place a soft kiss on Nico’s lips, right out in the open in this crowded restaurant he evidently frequented. As they separated, Nico let out a shaky breath and kept his eyes closed a beat longer than necessary. Levi grabbed Nico’s hand again and before they could continue their conversation, the food arrived.

They ate and talked and Nico slowly became more confident in himself as the conversation flowed so easily. By the time they were driving back to the hospital to get Nico’s car, he was talking freely and smiling brightly.

Levi parked next to Nico’s car, and Nico, once again, opened Levi’s door for him. They both stood by the cars, not wanting to say goodbye just yet. Levi reached up to cup Nico’s cheek and pulled him down for a searing kiss. They broke apart and smiled dopily at each other, before Levi insisted Nico get home for his 13 hours of sleep. Both men drove home, dopey smiles still in place, overwhelmingly excited to see what the future held for their relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to find me on Tumblr at [theswiftiewholived](https://theswiftiewholived.tumblr.com/)!


	5. Adventures in Babysitting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link loves the Kim-Schmitt twins, but it turns out babysitting them is a bit more than he had bargained for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got the anonymous prompt: Link babysitting Schmico kids and it ending up being a nightmare. I haven't written much with Link so far so this was a fun challenge. And I'm always up for some domestic Schmico. I hope you enjoy!

Atticus Lincoln was a professional bachelor. As such, he had little hope of producing any children of his own. So when his best friend, Nico Kim, adopted twins with his husband, Levi Schmitt, Link was overjoyed. Layla and Josie Kim-Schmitt were impossibly adorable and smart little three year olds who Link loved to spoil.

Typically, Nico and Levi’s neighbor, Hailey, would babysit the girls when both Nico and Levi were busy. However, based on the frantic conversation between the to men that Link just walked in on, Hailey was busy that night.

“We could just stay in tonight. I know we haven’t had a night out in months, but would it be such a bad night to just spend some time with the girls?” Levi seemed exasperated.

“Babe, you know nights in with you and the girls are my absolute favorite, but you’ve been wanting to try this restaurant for weeks and it was almost impossible to get a reservation. We don’t have this much time off together for a while.” Nico was almost pleading.

“But what can we do? My mom is out of town this weekend and everyone else we know works here. Who can we ask on such short notice?”

Link cleared his throat. Both men’s heads snapped over to him. “I have the night off. If you need someone to watch your little monsters, I’d be happy to.”

Link was almost knocked over as Levi threw himself into his arms and began to babble. “Oh, Link, that would be amazing! You have no idea how much this means to us! Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!”

 

“Okay, so they already ate and had dessert, so as much as they’ll pester you for cookies, they already had some tonight. We rented Tangled on Amazon, so they can watch that. But Josie always gets a little scared at some parts, so be prepared for her to cuddle into you. And they should be in bed by 8:00, but you can read them a story before they go to bed. Um, what am I missing?” Levi looked to Nico.

Nico wrapped his arms around Levi from behind and kissed the top of his head. “Nope, you got it all, babe. Call us if you need anything.” Nico knelt down so he was eye-level with his daughters. “Hey Lay, Jo, be good for Uncle Link, okay? Daddy and I will see you both tomorrow.” He kissed both girls on the cheek. Levi knelt down and did the same.

“Bye Daddy! Bye Papa!” Both girls waved as Nico and Levi left the house.

Link turned to the girls. “Alright munchkins, what do you wanna do?”

“Layla, put that down! Josie, no running!” Despite Levi’s insistence that the girls not be given any more sugar, Link had fallen victim to the girls’ pouts and pleas and had given them two cookies each. This was proving to be a bad decision as both girls were now experiencing an intense sugar high. Layla was currently drawing a family portrait on the wall while Josie was sprinting around the house, weaving amongst the furniture.

“Uncle Link, look, it’s Papa!” Layla was frantically pointing at a stick figure on the wall that was significantly taller than the other stick figures.

“AHHHHH! OW! Uncle Link, ow!” Link turned from the vandalized wall to find Josie gripping what appeared to be a stubbed toe. He immediately ran to grab some ice, which he wrapped in a towel and gently pressed onto Josie’s toe.

“Uncle Link, I messed up Daddy’s hair! Help me fix it!”

Link instructed Josie to keep the ice pressed to her toe, before making his way over to Layla. “No, it looks perfect. Actually, the whole thing looks amazing! How about you be done with that now and we can all watch Tangled?”

“Nooooo! I’m not done, I have to add Fluffy!”

“Who’s Fluffy?”

“The cat I want!” Link watched helplessly as Layla added a giant puffball to the portrait.

Losing patience, Link picked Layla up and plopped her down on the ground next to Josie, who was still icing her toe. “Alright, little ladies! We are going to watch Tangled and we are going to watch it now!” Both girls reluctantly made their way to the couch and settled in to watch the movie.

 

While Link cursed the sugar high at its peak, he found that the crash worked in his favor. As Rapunzel and Eugene saw the lanterns, both girls drifted off to sleep, having finally come down. Link paused the movie and brought each girl to their beds. He then began to Google the best way to get marker off a wall.

 

A few hours later, Nico and Levi stumbled through the door, clearly inebriated. Link was glad he had insisted they take an Uber to the restaurant.

“Hey guys, welcome back. So your girls are master manipulators and I gave them more cookies and they lost their minds. You now have an extremely faded family portrait on the wall in the hall - hey, that rhymes - and Josie stubbed her toe so she’ll probably complain about that for a bit. They both passed out a while ago and I definitely had a few of your beers.”

Levi gaped at Link. Nico let out a small laugh. “Hey, that’s better than we expected. Thanks buddy. For your sake, we promise to never ask you to babysit again.”

“Thank you. That’s all I ask. Later you two!” Link grabbed his coat and rushed out of the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to find me on Tumblr at [theswiftiewholived](https://theswiftiewholived.tumblr.com/)!


	6. A Good Defense

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico will always be there to defend Levi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An anonymous prompt came in saying: Just Nico defending his man! I took it to mean verbally, which what this story chronicles. But I also had some people ask for a physical defense one, so I wrote that too.

“This guy? Really?” Dave Johnson was a 27 year old professional treasure hunter, or so he liked to tell anyone who would listen. In his most recent search for treasure, he had fallen from a tree, which he was climbing to get a better vantage point, and broke his leg. His fellow treasure hunters had rushed him to Grey Sloan hospital, where he was now faced with Drs Lincoln, Kim, and Schmitt.

“What do you mean by that?” Nico Kim was confused as to why Dave would be questioning Dr. Schmitt.

“Levi Schmitt, right?” Levi nodded. “You’re that total nerd I went to high school with. No way are you being my doctor. Unless being obsessed with Dungeons and Dragons makes you a great doctor.”

Levi cleared his throat and glanced over at Nico and Link. “I can just go. It’s fine.” He began to leave the room.

Link grabbed the back of Levi’s scrubs and pulled him back into position. “Dr. Schmitt is more than capable enough to take care of you.”

Dave scoffed. “Little Levi? He wore elf ears to school all of sophomore year.” Levi blushed and gave a quick glance to Nico, who smirked. “He used to remind teachers to give us homework. And he could not get a date to save his life!”

Link chuckled. “He certainly doesn’t have that problem now.” Nico and Levi blushed and avoided each other’s eyes.

“Ha, Levi Schmitt with a date. Good one! But seriously, he can’t be one of my doctors. I demand someone… competent.”

Levi was slowly shrinking in on himself with every word Dave said. Nico felt himself becoming more and more annoyed by this patient. He couldn’t hold back anymore. “If competence is what you’re concerned about, you genuinely can’t go wrong with Dr. Schmitt. He’s one of the smartest and most talented surgeons I’ve ever seen. Even though he’s only an intern, I’m sure he could handle your leg all on his own.”

“Um, cool. I still don’t want the virgin nerd I went to high school with as my doctor.”

Nico was almost fuming. “So just because you knew someone who you thought was a nerd a decade ago, you want to jeopardize your health? You think that who someone was at 17 is indicative of who they will become? Maybe he was a nerd, but was he not smart? Was he not kind and attentive and detail-oriented? Because I can guarantee you all of those traits have only become stronger within him and have made him an excellent doctor. And maybe you think he’s a nerd, but others may find those interests endearing.” Nico smiled at Dave’s surprised face. He couldn’t resist adding: “Also, he’s certainly not a virgin.” Levi turned bright red while Dave gaped at Nico and widened his eyes.

“Wait, are you two banging? I’m totally straight, but even I know you’re super hot. Maybe Levi’s cooler than I thought. And I guess it could be worse; he could be a stupid nerd.”

“Can we get on with your evaluation now?” Link seemed both amused and exasperated.

Dave gave a put-upon sigh before nodding his assent.

 

After Dave had been X-rayed and bandaged up, Nico and Levi grabbed a late lunch together in the cafeteria.

“So that was an embarrassing blast from the past.” Levi sighed as he said down. “I was really hoping he wouldn’t recognize me. But aside from the stubble, I look exactly the same as I did in high school. Curse my baby face!”

Nico laughed. “Hey, I love your baby face. It’s adorable. And you may have found that embarrassing, but learning more about just how much of a nerd you are only makes me like you more.”

“You have a nerd fetish, weirdo.”

“Nah, I’m just into everything about you. But really, I’m sorry you had to go through all of that.”

Levi shrugged. “It’s okay. He came around in the end. If I knew all I had to do to gain his respect was have a hot boyfriend, I’d have done that a lot sooner.” Both men gave a small laugh. “And thank you for defending me. It means a lot.”

“No one is allowed to belittle you or doubt you in my presence. I’m not going to stand by and let that happen to you. I care about you too much.”

Levi gave a soft smile. “You’re the best.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to find me on Tumblr at [theswiftiewholived](https://theswiftiewholived.tumblr.com/)!


	7. Holding Out For A Hero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, even a hero needs saving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After my ficlet about Nico verbally defending Levi, I got a couple anons asking for physical defense as well. So here's that! I hope you all enjoy!

It had been a long day at Grey Sloan with multiple traumas being brought in and all the surgeons having full slates of patients. After such a day, a small group had decided to congregate at Joe’s to have a few drinks and de-stress. Among this group, were the four interns, Taryn Helm, Casey Parker, Dahlia Qadri, and Levi Schmitt. Levi kept glancing at the door, as if waiting for someone to enter. **  
**

“That’s the seventh time you’ve looked at the door. Nico still had an hour left on his shift when we got here. It’ll be a bit before he joins us.” Casey Parker tended to be the voice of reason within the group.

Levi sighed. “I know. I just miss him. We’ve had conflicting shifts this week. I’m gonna go get another beer. You guys want anything.” The rest of the group shook their heads.

He made his way to the bar and, after ordering his beer, surveyed the rest of the area. He noticed a few other surgeons sitting over in a corner and a young couple cosied up at the end of the bar. A few seats to his left, Levi noticed a girl, who could not be any older than 23, leaning far away from a man most likely in his 40s.

“C’mon, sweetie, lemme buy you a drink.” The man slurred, while the girl shifted further away in her seat.

“No, I’m good. I’m just waiting for my friend.” She sounded timid and scared.

Levi made a quick decision and approached the two. “Hey, so sorry I’m late! Who’s your friend?” Levi tried to convey to the girl, with his eyes, that he was trying to help, not double up on the harassment.

She gave him a grateful look. “Oh, hey! You made it!” She gave him a hug and whispered a quick thank you.

“Hey buddy, back off! I saw Natalie first!” The drunk guy did not seem to appreciate Levi joining the two.

“Natalie and I are old friends. So maybe you should back off.” Levi had no idea where his bravado came from, but he wasn’t about to back down now.

But then the man stood up. Levi could tell this man was bigger than he was, but it wasn’t clear just how much until he was standing at full height. He was easily around 6’3” and about 250 pounds, making him a formidable opponent for almost anyone, but especially for Levi. He began to advance towards Levi, spurred on by the alcohol in his system and the toxic masculinity which had undoubtedly been preached to him his whole life. Levi shut his eyes and raised his hands, ready for a hit that never came. He cautiously opened one eye to be met with the familiar back of the person who had come between him and the drunk man.

“You really don’t want to do that.” Nico Kim’s deep voice filled Levi with a warm, protected feeling, but definitely came off as intimidating to the drunk man, as he flinched slightly.

“What are you, the little guy’s bodyguard? You here for Natalie too?”

“No, Levi can take care of himself. And I’m sure Natalie can too. But I’m not going to watch someone just attack my boyfriend.”

“Oh, so you’re a couple of fairies? Ha, figures.” Suddenly, the man lunged at Nico, as though his sexuality cancelled out the surgeon’s impressive muscles and imposing figure. The man got one sloppy, misplaced punch in before Nico restrained his arm behind his back. “My issue isn’t with you, pretty boy. Let me at your poof of a boyfriend!”

That, evidently, was the wrong thing to say. Suddenly, Nico had the man pinned against the bar, hands behind his back and face smushed onto the surface of the bar. “Come at me all you want, but you even lay a finger on Levi and it will be the biggest regret of your sorry life. I suggest you get out of here before I’m forced to teach you a tough lesson about not being a creep.”

Nico let the man go and he straightened up, clearly fuming. Before he could spit out some insulting retort, Joe appeared and informed him that he was no longer welcome at that establishment.

“Fine.” He spat, still angry but now aware that Nico could easily take him down. “She’s not even that hot anyway. And there’s way better bars around here.” He stormed out as Natalie let out a shaky breath, clearly expecting her evening to end far differently.

“Thank you so much!” She threw her arms around Levi.

Levi blushed. “Oh, I didn’t really do anything. Nico here was the real hero.”

“But you noticed my discomfort and stepped in. Not many people would do that. I do appreciate his help, but you’re the one who rescued me. Let me buy you both a drink!”

 

Later, while recounting the full story to the other interns, Levi framed Nico as a fairytale hero, swooping in and saving the day, which caused Nico to turn bright red. He leaned over to whisper, “You know, Natalie was right. You’re a hero too. Sure, I can take down a big guy like that, but you’re the one who noticed her distress and did something to help. I’m in awe of you.” He placed a kiss on the smaller man’s cheek.

Levi beamed up at him. “Hm, that’s a new type of fairytale. The hero falls for the other hero and the damsel in distress gets to spend a nice night with her friends.”

“I’d read that. Especially if one of the heroes is as hot as you.” Levi blushed furiously as Nico gazed at him fondly. Sometimes, even heroes need saving and Nico would always be there to save his hero.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to find me on Tumblr at [theswiftiewholived](https://theswiftiewholived.tumblr.com/)!


	8. Maybe This Will Happen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This could maybe happen in 15x10. Or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got an anonymous ask stating: You should totally do a fanfiction piece on the next episode about how they get in that call room and all that happens. Please try to make it more greys and less pornish because some people really don’t get that!
> 
> Well, if don’t want porn, you came to the right place! As an asexual, I tend to shy away from all of that. But I do appreciate those in the fandom who do write more mature fics because they fill in the gaps the show just can’t give us. These are two adult men, so sex is a healthy and normal part of their relationship. But I do get wanting it to be more realistic to the show, as well. I still don’t really watch the show, so I hope this does fit into the tone and plot of the show. 
> 
> Also, I have to give @[excelsior621](http://excelsior621.tumblr.com/) credit for that “chief’s orders” line. I thought that was such a funny and clever thing to say and couldn’t help but add it.

Levi Schmitt felt a hand graze against his as he leaned on the nurses’ station, reviewing a chart, and immediately jolted his hand away. An apology was on the tip of his tongue, but then he looked up and realized who had made such contact. Standing before him, in all his dark blue scrubbed glory, was Nico Kim, smirking down at Levi. **  
**

“Oh! Hi!” Levi perked up, excited to see the fellow.

Nico chuckled. “Good morning. I missed you yesterday.”

“I could have visited you after my shift. I’m so jealous you had a whole day off.” Levi smiled at Nico, making his eyes sparkle just slightly. Nico inhaled sharply.

“No, you had a 20 hour shift. You needed to go home and sleep. You earned that much.” Just then, Nico’s pager went off. He looked down at it and then apologetically back up at Levi. “I have to go. I’ll find you later.” He dropped a quick kiss onto Levi’s cheek, almost unthinkingly, causing Levi to beam at Nico’s retreating form.

 

Levi stood from the lunch table, grabbing his tray and preparing to make his way back to work when he felt a soft hand on his shoulder. 

“You’re leaving?” The familiar deep voice sent a shiver down his spine, and he took a moment to calm himself before turning to face Nico.

“I only had ten minutes to get something quickly. I would have stalled a bit if I’d known you were coming.” Levi gave a guilty look and shrugged one shoulder.

“No, no, you have responsibilities. I just ran into Taryn on the way here and she told me you had just entered the cafeteria a few minutes ago so I thought we’d be able to have lunch together, is all.”

Levi gave a disappointed look and fiddled with the edge of his tray. “We’re just not in sync today, are we?”

Nico chuckled and shrugged. “Our moment will come. I can feel it.”

Levi smiled a soft smile before being startled by a beep from his watch, signalling the end of his lunch break. Nico placed a hand on one of Levi’s for a moment before letting him go with a charged look.

 

Levi was currently working with Jackson Avery in plastics and had just wrapped up a 4 hour long surgery. It had been a fairly extensive procedure, but also fairly routine so he had been able to do a bit more than just observe. Riding the high from such a successful operation, Levi scrubbed out and left the OR with a spring in his step. His 15 hour shift was almost over and he knew Nico’s shift was ending around the same time. He was so amped, he forgot to look where he was going and smacked right into a solid wall of person, letting out an “oof” at the impact.

A strong hand grabbed his elbow, steadying him as a familiar laugh rang out. “So clumsy, Dr. Schmitt.”

Levi looked up into Nico’s eyes, filled with adoring mirth, and stuttered out an apology.

“Don’t apologize. I was on my way to find you. Both of our shifts are almost done and I got some great advice from the chief the other day I want to take advantage of.”

Levi gave him a confused look. “Oh, about surgery? Anything that would help me?”

Nico chuckled. “No, not about work. He let me know of the rooms in the hospital with locks. And what do you know, one of those rooms happens to be right there.” He indicated the on-call room to his left.

Levi gulped. “Oh, ah, right. Yeah, that room has a lock. But someone’s probably already in there.”

“Nope, I checked. C’mon, it’s basically the chief’s orders.” Nico gave a wicked grin that practically caused Levi to melt. When Levi gave a smile and short nod, Nico grasped his hand and pulled him into the room, closing the door and making a big show of locking it. He made to pulled Levi in for a kiss, but the shorter man put up a hand to stop him. He stopped immediately, looking down questioningly at the other man.

“I… not that I don’t… I mean…” Levi took a deep breath. “I like this. What we do. Together. I like spending time with you and being near you and… kissing you. I really like that. But… is that all this is? Because, well, that’s fine, but I know that I wouldn’t be opposed to… more.” Nico made to respond, but Levi soldiered on. “I like talking to you. You’re smart and funny and captivating. I just… I’d date you. If you asked. If you wanted. I would.”

Nico beamed and Levi felt his breath leave his body at the sheer beauty of that image. “Levi, we are dating. I text you every night before bed and the moment I wake up. I’ve made you dinner, twice, since the wind storm. I’ve been trying to date you since I got here.”

Levi blushed, embarrassed that he missed something so big. “Oh. Wow. That’s… wow.” Suddenly overcome with the sincerity and relief of the moment, he raised up onto his tiptoes, wrapped his arms around Nico’s neck and kissed him, backing him into the wall and bracing one hand on said wall to stabilize them. This whole thing was new and delicate, but the two men could tell it was special. They didn’t do more than make out in the on-call room, but it felt different somehow, now that the thing between them had been clearly defined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to find me on Tumblr at [theswiftiewholived](https://theswiftiewholived.tumblr.com/)!


	9. Everybody Hurts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico winds up in the ER and Levi has to deal with seeing his fiancee in such a state.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous asked: How about Nico being seriously hurt??
> 
> I'm typically a fluff person, so this was a different experience for me. But I ultimately liked writing this and hope you all enjoy!

Levi Schmitt was working in trauma during what was proving to be a fairly light day. That’s not to say nothing had come in, but when it seems like everyday was full of bus accidents and plane crashes, the steady, but not quick, stream of patients was a nice reprieve. He was just finishing up the stitches on a middle-aged woman who had cut her hand making dinner when a new trauma was brought into the pit.

As Levi began to make his way to the new arrival, Owen Hunt yelled out to him: “Schmitt, you stay there! I’ve got this one!”

“Are you sure, sir? I’m done over here and can help you with this one.” Despite Owen’s insistence, Levi had continued to make his way towards the bed and was now close enough to make out the figure on the gurney. He stopped dead in his tracks and gasped out a sob. There, laying bloodied and unconscious on the gurney was Nico Kim, Levi’s fiancee.

“Schmitt, I need you out of here while I’m working on him. I will take the best care of him that I can, but you need to let me do that. Do you trust me?”

Levi found the strength to nod between sobs and ran out of the pit towards an on-call room. He hurdled through the door and collapsed on the bed, letting himself completely break down.

 

Sometime later - Levi wasn’t sure how much later - he received a text from Owen letting him know that he could now come see Nico. He hurried to the room Owen had indicated to him and skidded to a halt by the door. He heard the beeping of the heart monitor and the soft hum of the television that Nico’s roommate was watching. He took a deep breath, trying to compose himself, before entering the room.

Nico was still unconscious, but less bloodied. Levi gaped at his fiancee, feeling his blood run cold at the image of him lying in a hospital bed. He grabbed the chart from the end of his bed to assess his situation. Car crash. Multiple broken bones, a punctured lung, and a severe concussion. He noticed a chest tube had been inserted for the lung and his left arm and both legs were bandaged. Before he could panic about the concussion, Amelia Shepherd appeared in the room, as though sensing his paranoia.

She laid a hand on his shoulder. “He’ll be okay. The CT scan didn’t indicate any bleeding. It’s just a concussion. He’ll be out of commission for a bit, but it’ll be okay.”

Unable to control himself, Levi collapsed into her arms, sobbing with relief and gratitude.

 

“Baby?” The raspy question stirred Levi. Disoriented, he glanced around and realized he was slumped in a chair in one of the patient rooms. Immediately, the events of the day rushed back to him and he turned, frantic, towards the bed where the question had emanated. He bolted out of the chair and made his way to the bed. Not wanting to aggravate any of Nico’s injuries, he settled for lightly laying a hand over his uninjured one.

“Hey, you.” He spoke softly, gently stroking Nico’s hair.

“It hurts, baby.” Nico sobbed out.

“Shh, I know, I know. But you’ll be okay. Amelia and Meredith and Link and Owen all said you’re on track for a full recovery. And I’ll be by your side the whole time.”

Nico managed a weak smile. “I love you.”

Levi gave a watery laugh. “I love you too. But babe, what happened?”

“Someone swerved into my lane at 70 and I had to turn out of the lane sharply. My car flipped, I guess. It’s all a little hazy.” Nico screwed up his face in concentration, as though he may be able to fight through the concussion symptoms.

“How’s the other guy?” Levi questioned.

“Fine? I guess. He just kept going. I don’t know.”

“Asshole.”

Nico gave a small smile before wincing in pain. “So both legs are broken, huh? I’m glad we decided to move to that apartment building with the elevator.”

“And here we thought it would just make grocery trips easier.” Levi said as an attempt at a joke. He slowly lowered his head to softly place his forehead against Nico’s. “I was so scared, baby. I couldn’t imagine losing you. You’re my world.”

Nico leaned up to give Levi a small kiss. “You saved me. I felt myself slipping away, but then I thought about you and how much I needed to see you again. I fought to see you again.”

Levi let out a sob. “I love you.”

“I love you too. You’re going to be stuck with me for a lot longer. I promise you that.”

“Lucky me.” Levi whispered against Nico’s lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to find me on Tumblr at [theswiftiewholived](https://theswiftiewholived.tumblr.com/)!


	10. Protecting Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi and Nico's date is interrupted by a not so welcome visitor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got an anonymous ask stating: Prompt: Levi and Nico on a date but they run into Nico's ex. And then another stating: Protective Levi. I ended up combining the two, because it worked with the plot. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> And yes, this chapter title is from an Aly & AJ song. A truly classic song.

By some stroke of luck, Levi Schmitt and Nico Kim both got off their shifts at the same time on one Wednesday evening. Despite being together for four months, they had not had the opportunity to go on a proper, fancy date. Usually, they went to the deli down the block from Nico’s and had a picnic in the park, or got takeout and watched some dumb movie. They rarely had enough time while not at work or asleep to do anything more formal than those types of casual dates. So when Nico noticed this shared night off, he immediately invited Levi out to a new Italian restaurant that was far fancier than their normal date spots. Levi had eagerly agreed.

Here they sat, at a small table in the corner of a dimly lit restaurant, both in dress shirts, ties, and slacks. Nico had quickly ordered them a bottle of merlot, their favorite wine, and wasted no time in gushing over how lovely Levi looked with the soft light haloing his head.

“You look like a literal angel. And the candlelight is reflecting in your eyes and they’re sparkling even more than usual. Why didn’t we come here sooner?”

Levi blushed at the compliments and answered: “Well, for one, this place just opened. But we’ve also had no time.”

“Oh right, we have those pesky jobs!”

Levi laughed and Nico could have sworn the whole room lit up. He reached across the table to grasped his hand and lightly ran his thumb over the top of it.

“Nico Kim?” Both men snapped their heads to the side to face the man who had interrupted their intimate moment. “I thought that was you! Long time, no see!”

This man was a bit taller than Levi, but still shorter than Nico. He had blonde hair styled into some kind of swoop and a clean-shaven, angular face. He wore glasses, but they were much smaller than Levi’s and seemed to blend into his face. Overall, he was definitely attractive and Levi did not like the way this man was looking at his boyfriend.

“Oh, Finn! Hi!” Nico seemed caught off guard. “Uh, yeah, it’s been a while, I guess.”

“How have you been?” Finn didn’t seem to sense Nico’s discomfort at his presence. Or maybe he just didn’t care.

“Um, good. Yeah. I’m at Grey Sloan Memorial now. As Link’s fellow. Um, how about you?” Whoever this man was, he seemed to also know the Link, Nico’s attending. 

“Still doing statistics and predictions for baseball. I’m actually here on a business dinner, but I saw you and just had to come say hi!”

“Right. Um, well, hi.” Nico gave an awkward wave, clearly ready for this conversation to end.

“Hi!” He turned to Levi, looking surprised, as though noticing him for the first time. “Well, hello there! Aren’t you an adorable little thing?”

Levi furrowed his brow, wondering what this guy was playing at. “Uh, thanks…”

“Do you work with Nico at the hospital?” The question was definitely meant to be as condescending as it came off.

“Yeah, I do.” Levi blinked rapidly.

“How fun! We’re both at work dinners!” Finn gave a smug smile, clearly knowing the reality of Nico and Levi’s situation.

Nico lifted their joined hands. “Nope. You’re at a work dinner. I’m on a date.”

“Oh! Silly me! Still using the workplace as a dating pool, huh, Nico?” Finn turned back to Levi. “We used to work together and date as well.” He added, unnecessarily.

“We went out a few times, Finn. Nothing serious.” Nico snapped.

“Oh, is this serious? Tell me, does Nico here still like when you lick that one spot on his neck?” Finn seemed to rejoice in the way Nico flushed and squirmed in his seat.

“What’s your goal here?” Levi was getting fed up with this guy and his antics.

“Whatever do you mean?” He put on an innocent air.

“You can clearly tell we’re on a date. And you can also tell that Nico doesn’t want to talk to you. And then you ask such an intrusive question about my boyfriend’s preferences? What are you trying to accomplish?”

Finn’s smile faltered slightly at Levi’s tone. “I’m just trying to catch up with an old friend.”

“Cool. Looks like you did that, so maybe you should get back to your own dinner.” Levi leveled Finn with a stern gaze, making it very clear he meant business.

“Right. Well, I’ll see you around, Nico.” He flashed a smirk in Nico’s direction and retreated back to his table, clearly trying to maintain some dignity.

Levi turned back to Nico, who was still red, and gave a small, humorless laugh. “So your taste in men has clearly changed.”

“He wasn’t like that when he first caught my eye. He had this smart, nerdy guy vibe to him. Which is totally my type.” The two shared a smile at that. “But it turns out he was actually a jerk. We lasted five dates before I saw what a douchebag he truly was.”  

“Whew! My respect for you remains intact!” Levi chanced a glance in the direction Finn had gone, only to see the other man pointedly staring at the two of them. “He’s looking at us.”

“Then let’s give him something to look at.” Nico smirked and leaned across the table to give Levi a short, but smoldering kiss. They separated and Levi beamed at Nico.

“We can leave, if you want. I just want to be with you. It doesn’t matter where we are.”

“No, he’s not ruining this night for us. Besides, I really want to try the seafood lasagna I ordered.”

Finn continued to stare at the two of them, but he was barely a blip on their radar, too wrapped up in their own happiness at being together on a real, proper date for the first time. When they would reminisce on this date in the future, Nico’s ex was barely a mention in the story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to find me on Tumblr at [theswiftiewholived](https://theswiftiewholived.tumblr.com/)!


	11. High Striker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico may be too strong for his own good...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got an anonymous ask stating: With those muscles Alex's got to be strong af, so how about Grey's having a fair and Nico wins Levi a bunny by hitting the very top of the High Striker but he hits it so hard that the bell actually falls off and everyone and their co-workers are just staring at Nico.😂
> 
> I thought that was a really cute idea and decided to make it a whole carnival date. I hope you all enjoy!

Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital was holding a carnival fundraiser to raise some money to repair some parts of the hospital that had worn away over the years. They had been able to secure an empty field on the edge of Seattle and through some weird connections a nurse had, they were able to obtain some carnival equipment at a cheaper price.

Levi Schmitt and Nico Kim both had the night off the first night of the fundraiser so they decided to make a date of it. Nico picked up Levi at 5 and paid for his admission to the carnival. They wandered the area, holding hands, until Levi spotted the food carts and tugged Nico over. After buying far too much fried food (which Levi insisted on paying for), they settled onto a picnic table.

“All of this food will kill us. It will clog our arteries. We are doctors, we should know better.” Nico bit into a fried pickle, despite his small rant.

“Eh, you’re a bone guy. And I’m not planning on going into cardio. So we’re fine! We can claim ignorance. We just have to avoid Maggie.” Levi gave a quick scan of the area to emphasize his point.

Nico inspected what appeared to be a piece of fried butter, before taking a hesitant bite. His eyes lit up. “This is too good. It just fat. All fat. But it’s so good!”

Levi laughed and took a bite of his fried Twinkie. “Let’s live tonight. You can go back to being healthy tomorrow.”

Nico sighed, pretending to be put-upon. “Fine, only for you.”

Their next stop was the ferris wheel, where they got stuck at the top and Levi hit his face in Nico’s chest in fear. While Nico felt bad that Levi was scared, he couldn’t deny that he liked having Levi cuddle up to him as they sat close in a small basket.

“No more rides. At least for now. I don’t think all the fried food in my stomach will react well to the Tilt-a-Whirl.” Levi insisted when they disembarked from the ferris wheel.

“Fine by me. Let’s go check out the games. I’m a pro at balloon darts.” Nico smiled and grabbed Levi’s hand so they could stroll over to the area that help a multitude of carnival games.

Nico won a Grey Sloan ski hat at the balloon darts and Levi proved to be a pro at the Milk Bottles, knocking down all the bottles and winning a small tub of slime.

“My 11 year old cousin is going to love this. She’s totally on the slime bandwagon.” Levi said as he tossed the tub between his hands.

“I heard there was an influx of kids coming into the ER a few years ago having ingested this stuff.” Nico chuckled.

“Eh, she’s smart enough to not eat it. I hope.” Levi stopped tossing the tub and stuck it in his jacket pocket so he could grab Levi’s hand again.

“Step right up! See who is the strongest among you!” A shout rang out from the other end of the games section.

Intrigued, they ambled over to be met with the High Striker. It was clear this was the main game they were trying to push because the prizes were the largest and cutest.

Levi gasped. “Oh, that stuffed bunny looks just like my childhood bunny! He died right before I went to college and it was heartbreaking.”

Nico looked at the stuffed animal Levi had indicated, eyes landing on a stuffed white rabbit that was being touted as one of the top prizes. Making a quick decision, he strode over to game and pulled out his wallet.

“Hello, sir! Are you here to test your strength at the High Striker?” The man running the game gave Nico a once-over, nodding approvingly at his muscled build.

“Yes, sir. I’m going to win my boyfriend that stuffed rabbit.” Levi had made his way over to stand behind Nico and couldn’t help but let out a small coo at Nico’s statement.

“Well, step right up and let’s see what you can do!”

Nico grabbed the mallet and turned back to Levi to give him a small wink. Levi rolled his eyes and smirked before beckoning Nico back to the game. A crowd had begun to form around the game, many people apparently anticipating an impressive feat of strength. Nico turned back to the game, took a deep breath, and swung the mallet high above his and slammed it down on the machine. The ball quickly shot up at a speed far faster than Nico had anticipated. It hit the bell, but it had too much momentum and the bell fell off the top of the game, landing with a crash on the ground.

It fell completely silent as everyone stared, disbelieving, at the broken game. Suddenly, a laugh broke out, which Nico recognized as Levi’s. Everyone else quickly joined in and the tension dissipated.

The man in charge of the game grabbed the stuffed rabbit and handed it over with a laugh. “Well, you certainly earned this!”

“I’m so sorry!”

“Eh, no worries. It’s not too hard to fix. You’re just stronger than the average person who plays this game, I guess.” The man turned to Levi and said, “Enjoy that bunny, son. It will always have a great story behind it.”

Nico walked over to Levi and extended out the stuffed animal to him. He took it with a grin and lightly stroked its head. “I think I’ll name him Striker.”

Nico threw back his head and gave a deep laugh, glad they could easily find the humor in this awkward situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to find me on Tumblr at [theswiftiewholived](https://theswiftiewholived.tumblr.com/)!


	12. I Get A Little Bit Nervous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi's nerves are more obvious, but Nico feels just as nervous whenever Levi is around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got an anonymous ask stating: Prompt for nico and levi please! Can you do fluff? Where Nico asks about all the times he made Levi nervous? like in the OR where he winks, when he asks him what his deal is and does he have a boyfriend etc basically them just talking about how Levi is a nervous wreck around Nico but Nico admits he's just as bad and can't focus when levi's in the general vicinity pretty please!! :) :)
> 
> And then another stating: Prompt: Schmico saying I love you for the first time.
> 
> I combined them together because I thought they worked well. I hope you enjoy!

It was full on pouring rain in Seattle. This occurrence was nothing new as rain in Seattle was the normal weather pattern. However, for Levi Schmitt and Nico Kim, this rain was causing a bit of a problem.

“It’s supposed to rain like this all day.” Levi groaned, looking at his phone.

The two were still cuddled up in bed, having been woken up by the rain a few minutes prior. They both had a rare day off and had planned to spend the day together, with a picnic in the park as the centerpiece of the day. Both were too excited by the prospect of spending all day together, that they forgot to check the weather ahead of time.

Nico grabbed Levi’s phone from his hand and reached up a hand to smooth out the worry lines on his forehead. “It’ll be okay. We’ll have other opportunities for the picnic. We still get all day together.” Nico grabbed Levi’s hand and began to fiddle with his fingers, enjoying how much smaller Levi’s hand was compared to his own.

Levi softened and sighed, “Yeah, I guess. I was just so excited for our epic day.”

Nico kissed Levi’s hand. “It’ll still be epic, I promise.”

Levi cuddled closer to Nico and laid his head on the other man’s chest. Nico took his free hand and carded it through Levi’s hair, fluffing it up.

“I remember the first time I saw you. I had to pay attention to Nisha, but I was so distracted by the cute intern hovering behind everyone.” Nico whispered.

“I got butterflies. When you came around the corner. I didn’t understand it at the time, but you made me nervous. And then continued to make me nervous.” Levi blushed.

“Yeah? I remember when I winked at you, and you dropped something. But you were so eager and adorable and your eyes just… sparkled. You were looking at me and I couldn’t resist.” Nico admitted.

“Oh God, I was so overwhelmed. I was utterly confused by you already and then that happened. And when you bought me that beer and your hand lingered on mine? I had to chug that beer to calm my nerves.” Nico and Levi shared a laugh at that.

“I was nervous too. To give you that beer. It felt like a lot. But I needed to talk to you. I needed to form that connection, somehow.”

“You were nervous about _that_? You literally whipped your shirt off in front of me a few days later.” Levi responded incredulously.

“I panicked! You weren’t responding to my advances so I had to pull out the big guns!”

“Literally.” With a laugh, Levi squeezed Nico’s upper arm.

“Hey, I didn’t see you complaining! You just kept subtly checking me out.” Nico smirked at the memory.

“I’m only human!” Levi ran a hand along Nico’s naked chest to emphasize his point.

“Or when I asked what your deal was. You just stuttered and fidgeted as I practically announced that I was single and looking to date someone. Right after I asked if you were single.”

“No wonder you just kissed me in that elevator. I was so dense.” Levi leaned up to give Nico a small kiss.

“Nah, you were just nervous. Which I totally understand. You made me so nervous. Make me so nervous. I just wanted to impress you constantly and I thought you weren’t into me because you turned me down that one time and never really flirted back.” Nico grinned down at Levi.

Levi hid his face in Nico’s chest and mumbled out an answer.

“I’m sorry, what was that?” Nico questioned with a laugh.

Levi turned his head and sighed, “I said, I didn’t know what to make of you. I didn’t know what to make of my feelings or of how nervous I was. And you’re so hot. Like, really, really hot. So forgive me for not thinking you were into me.”

Nico scoffed. “You’re far hotter than I am.”

Levi gave a laugh. “Yeah, okay. Cool.”

Nico leaned down to give Levi a lingering kiss. “Well, I think you’re insanely hot.”

Levi beamed and shut his eyes as he burrowed further into Nico’s chest. “Mmm, I love you.” His eyes shot open. “I mean… What I meant to say is…” He took a deep breath. “No, I love you. That’s what I meant to say. I do. I do love you.”

Nico had a shocked look on his face. “But… I wanted to say it first! I had a whole plan for today! I was going to tell you just as we were drifting off to sleep after a perfect day together!”

Levi gave a helpless whimper at this admission, “You had a whole plan? You were going to make it special? You love me too?”

“Of course. Of course I love you! You’re literally my dream guy. How could I not? Maybe this is better. Spontaneous and emotional and real.” Nico said softly with a small smile.

“And just think: now we get to spend all day together with the knowledge that we love each other. Everything we do will be something done by a couple in love!” Levi gave a smile so bright and beautiful that Nico had to inhale sharply because his breath was knocked out of him.

“Yeah. Just a nervous couple in love.” Nico kissed the top of Levi’s head and the two gazed lovingly at each other, ready to spend the whole day together and in love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to find me on Tumblr at [theswiftiewholived](https://theswiftiewholived.tumblr.com/)!


	13. Filling in the Blanks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Possible missing moments from 15x10.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got an anonymous ask stating: Can you pleeeeeeease write something soft about maybe the morning before 15x10 that could tie into Levi’s mood and confidence
> 
> This is a bit of an overall episode reaction, but I really like the idea of the morning being significant. I hope this is soft enough; I’m a sucker for soft Nico so I loved writing that. I hope you enjoy!

Levi Schmitt did not wake up to his alarm, but rather to light kisses being pressed to the side of his neck. He smiled lazily to himself, eyes still closed, and hummed a soft sound of happiness. He raised a hand to clutch onto Nico Kim’s hair and let him know he greatly appreciated what was happening.

“Mmm, good morning, handsome.” Nico whispered in Levi’s ear, sending shivers down his spine. He tightened his arm around the other man’s waist and pulled him closer to his chest.

Levi opened his eyes and awkwardly turned in the embrace to face Nico. “That was so much better than my alarm. Waking up here is far superior to waking up at home.”

Nico gave a soft smile. “Falling asleep with you isn’t too bad either. And what we did before that was… wow.”

Levi blushed. “Yeah, that was… yeah.”

Nico placed a finger under Levi’s chin to tilt his face up so their eyes could meet. “You’re incredible. Honestly, the best sex I’ve ever had.”

Levi scoffed. “Yeah, okay.”

“I’m serious. You’re so good at everything you do. An amazing doctor, an amazing lover, an amazing person.” He punctuated each compliment with a kiss.

Levi smiled. “I wish we were still working together. Intern rotation sucks.”

“Hey, trauma’s great. You love trauma! And Hunt’s an excellent teacher. He’s clinical and composed and smart. You’re a lot alike.”

“What, no we’re not! I’m clumsy and awkward.” Levi exclaimed, shocked.

Nico shrugged. “Maybe. But you’re still all of those good things too.” Nico looked at his watch. “C’mon, we gotta get up and get ready.”

Levi groaned, stretched, and wiggled out of Nico’s embrace to get up and get ready for a long shift at the hospital.

As Nico and Levi were eating a quick breakfast, Nico, unprompted, spoke up, “You know, Link told me he thinks you’re one of the strongest interns he’s worked with. He said you caught on super quickly and always understood what to do and where you were needed. And he told me this without even knowing how I feel about you. We were just discussing work and he started singing your praises.”

“He’s the only one who seems to feel that way.” Levi responded, not even looking up.

“No, Jo was there too and she agreed. She said you’re always eager to work and really want to learn. And she was your head resident, so she would know.” Nico added.

Levi flushed and looked up. “Oh. I… oh. That’s really nice of them. I… that’s really nice.”

Nico gave a large smile and took a sip of his coffee. “Just the truth, babe. Just the truth.”

 

After viewing Claire’s CT scan, the three doctors taking care of her - Hunt, Deluca, and Levi - rushed to the OR in order to ensure they were able to operate before her bowel burst. In their haste, Levi almost didn’t notice Nico walking by in the opposite direction. He skidded to a stop right in front of Nico, a frantic look on his face.

“I’m off to the OR. Hi. I need to go. But hi.”

Nico smirked and gave a small laugh. “Hi.”

“Schmitt, let’s go!” Hunt yelled from the end of the hall.

“Go. You’re gonna do so awesome and impress everyone in that OR. I’ll see you later.” Nico gave Levi’s hand a small squeeze before gesturing for him to follow Hunt.

Bolstered by the words of encouragement, Levi continued his journey to the OR and prepared himself to be an asset during this surgery.

 

Hours later, after saving Hunt’s life, asserting himself as Dr. Schmitt, and gushing to Nico in an on-call room, Levi snuggled closer to Nico on the small bed in that same on-call room.

“Did I tell you Dr. Altman started her sentence to me with ‘respectfully?’ To me! She saw my authority in that situation and wanted to let me know she respected it!” Levi exclaimed, sifting one hand through Nico’s mussed hair.

“You were in charge. And she saw that. She was probably grateful to you for saving Dr. Hunt. You earned that ‘respectfully.’” Nico lazily stroked a hand up Levi’s back.

“I’m a doctor. I’m a real doctor. I can save lives and I can do it confidently. And then I can go tell my super hot boyfriend about it afterwards. This is a spectacular day!” Levi beamed up at Nico.

Nico leaned down to give Levi a small kiss. “Well, Dr. Schmitt, I think we need to get back to work. I have some paperwork to finish up and I’m sure the ER needs as many hands as possible. And you’ve got two strong, capable surgeon hands.”

Levi sat up, offering a hand to help Nico up. They straightened out their scrubs and patted down their hair before making their way out of the on-call room, both laughing when they realized they had forgotten to lock the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to find me on Tumblr at [theswiftiewholived](https://theswiftiewholived.tumblr.com/)!


	14. I Can See Clearly Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico reacts to Levi wearing contacts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I received an anonymous ask stating: could you write nico seeing levi without his glasses, his reaction to the fact that levi's now wearing contacts. i know it's just a silly small moment but i'd love more fluff for these two
> 
> The ending is cheesy; I’m tired and anxious so please forgive me. As someone who wears glasses, I’m actually a bit upset that we’re losing our bespectacled Levi, but I also think this idea is adorable. I hope you enjoy!

Nico Kim’s shift had ended, he had showered, and he was on his way to the intern lounge to surprise Levi Schmitt with a celebratory dinner. Levi had saved Owen Hunt’s life today and was over the moon with excitement at this accomplishment. The two had had a few minutes to celebrate in an on-call room, but both had to get back to work soon after. Nico planned to take Levi to his place and cook him a homemade meal and finally watch The Goonies, one of Levi’s favorite movies.

He entered the lounge and immediately noticed his adorable boyfriend collecting his materials from his locker, hair still damp from the shower. Nico snuck up behind him, wrapped his arms around the other man’s waist, and nuzzled his face into the space between his neck and shoulder. At the first touch, Levi tensed up, but upon realizing who had grabbed him, he softened into the embrace.

“Hey you. This is a nice surprise.” Nico could hear the smile in Levi’s voice.

“I wanna take you home with me. You’ve earned a home-cooked meal and a movie night.” Nico dropped a kiss to Levi’s shoulder before stepping back and allowing Levi to turn around. He was instantly struck by the intensity of Levi’s greenish-hazel eyes, which were not covered by his glasses. Suddenly, Nico was reminded of the moment in the ambulance when he had first seen Levi without his glasses. The memory filled him with warmth.

“Mm, that sounds nice. What did you have in mind for dinner?” Levi didn’t seem to notice Nico’s fixation on the change in his appearance.

Nico, ignoring Levi’s question, asked, “Did you lose your glasses again? I think you left a spare pair at my place.”

Levi gave a fond smile, touched by the genuine concern in Nico’s tone. “No, I’m wearing contacts!”

“You touched your eye?!” Nico questioned, excitedly.

“Well, no. Taryn put them in. But I will! At some point…” Levi looked down in shame.

Not having any of Levi’s shame, especially not today, Nico placed a hand under Levi’s chin to lift his face. “You’ll get there. But for now, I’d be more than happy to help you. Although, I will miss your glasses.”

“You will?” Levi was wide-eyed and Nico was overcome with how adorable he was.

“They were the first thing I noticed about you. Your eyes and your glasses. But I can’t lie; your eyes are incredible. If I get to see them unimpeded more often, that’s fine by me.” Nico placed a hand on Levi’s face and used his thumb to lightly stroke his cheek.

Levi closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. “You know, I’ll have to take my contacts out at night and wear my glasses before bed and in the morning. So you’ll still get to see them. You’ll probably be the only one to see them.” Levi opened his eyes and smiled up at Nico. “Well, you and my mom.”

They shared a laugh as Nico withdrew his hand. “What brought this change on?”

“‘Glasses’ has been this condescending nickname since I got here. And I just accepted that. But today proved that I belong here and that I’m so much more than some dumb mistake I made as a sub-I. It felt like a catharsis to be able to take away that symbol of my past. I don’t know, it’s probably dumb.” Levi shrugged.

“It’s not dumb. That’s amazing. You deserve to feel confident and if wearing contacts will help with that, then I am all for it.” Nico leaned down for a small kiss. “Plus, like I said, your eyes are gorgeous. You’re gorgeous.”

Levi wrapped his arms around Nico’s middle and snuggled his face into his chest. “Let’s go home.” He mumbled.

Nico pulled back and gazed into Levi’s eyes, knowing he’d have to get used to the change, but appreciating the view.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to find me on Tumblr at [theswiftiewholived](https://theswiftiewholived.tumblr.com/)!


	15. Sweater Paws

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite their size difference, Levi always seems to find himself wearing Nico's clothes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [phansmutaccountbcican](https://phansmutaccountbcican.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr asked for Levi wearing Nico's too-big shirts. I think that is an adorable image and loved writing this story. I hope you enjoy!

**Wh** ile Seattle winters were often not too harsh, it could still get quite cold at times. Nico Kim was from New York and was used to a much colder winter, so he had no trouble adapting to these parts of the Seattle winter. Levi Schmitt, however, was born and raised in Seattle, meaning he had some trouble when the temperature dipped below 40 degrees.

“Baby!” Levi whined. “I’m so cold!”

“I know, you little wimp. Let me get you a sweater.” Nico got off the couch, where the two had been huddled together, and made his way to their bedroom. He grabbed the first sweater he saw and made his way back to Levi, tossing him the sweater.

“Thank you!” Levi gave Nico a small kiss on the cheek and pulled on the sweater.

The sleeves fell a few inches past the tips of Levi’s fingers and the end hit just about mid-thigh. This sweater clearly belonged to Nico, who was a good amount taller and broader than Levi. The image of Levi in what was essentially a sweater dress caused Nico to erupt into laughter, earning him a few slaps from Levi’s sweater paws.

“Aw, babe, you look so cute and small in my sweater!” Levi was known to lounge around the apartment in Nico’s sweatshirts at times, but Nico would never tire of seeing his pint-sized boyfriend dwarfed even more in one of his sweaters.

“I would ask you to get me another one, but this sweater is really comfy and it smells like you. So I’m stealing it and it’s mine for the day.” Levi declared and stuck his tongue out at Nico, who gave another laugh.

“Well, you look adorable.” Levi smiled at the compliment and burrowed deeper into the sweater.

 

Nico and Levi had just closed on a small home not too far from the hospital and were in the process of renovating the space. Today was a painting day and, as such, they were dressed in some of Nico’s old gym clothes, which he didn’t care about getting stained with paint. Nico just looked like someone going to the gym in slightly faded attire, while Levi was almost consumed by the shirt he was wearing.

Levi had an old pair of sweatpants, but didn’t have a shirt he was willing to get dirty. They all had sentimental value, he claimed. Nico claimed he was a hoarder. But Nico had an old Seattle Mariners shirt, gifted to him by Link many years ago, that was a bit too tight on him, so he figured it would be perfect for Levi. But no, Levi was currently drowning in the shirt.

“How is this even possible?” Nico questioned with an amused smile.

“How? You’re an eight foot tall wall of muscle, that’s how!” Levi threw his arms up in exasperation, causing the shirt to awkwardly flap around him.

Nico wrapped his arms around Levi’s middle. “I love you in my clothes. You look like a little mini person.”

“That’s just weird, you weirdo!” But Levi was smiling, clearly able to see the humor in the image of him in the huge shirt.

Nico snapped a picture of Levi when he wasn’t paying attention and made it the new background picture on his phone, to always remember how adorably silly his boyfriend looked that day.

 

“I had a rough day today, so I am going to wear sweats tonight, eat too much pizza, and watch more Netflix than is advisable. And you will say nothing about it.” Levi proclaimed this warning as soon as he came through the door, having just returned home from a 20 hour shift.

Nico, who was watching a baseball game, looked up to see his boyfriend looking a bit worse for wear. “What happened?”

“There were so many accidents. So many. I got about 10 minutes of rest that whole shift.” Levi collapsed next to Nico and closed his eyes, as though ready to drift off to sleep.

“Hey, go change. I’ll order the pizza and queue up Parks and Rec, okay?”

“Mm, you are the best.” Levi turned and blindly planted a kiss on Nico’s chin, as his eyes were still closed.

Chuckling, Nico gave Levi a light shove. “Go, babe!”

Levi came back a few minutes later in an old college sweatshirt of Nico’s that he had commandeered when they were going through their clothes for the move. While Nico wanted to get rid of it because it was old and faded, Levi had immediately taken a shine to it and took it as his own. The issue was, while in college, Nico liked to buy sweatshirts a size up so they were a bit big on him. When spending hours in the library every night, he wanted to be as comfortable as possible. So while Levi was often overtaken by Nico’s clothes, he was even more so by this particular item.

Nico held out his arms and Levi scurried to him and settled himself in them. “You look adorable. I love that sweatshirt on you.” Nico placed a kiss on Levi’s temple.

“I have sweater paws!” Levi exclaimed excitedly, flapping the too long sleeves in front of Nico’s face.

Nico laughed. “Yes, you do. Congrats!”

Hours later, after devouring a large pizza and making it through half a season of Parks and Recreation, Levi was practically passed out in Nico’s arms on the couch. Nico hugged him tighter and leaned his head down to place a kiss to his fluffy hair. He thought of a small box hidden in the back of his underwear drawer and how tonight would have maybe been perfect; the two of them, cuddled together and so in love. But he also knew they’d have many more nights like this one. It was going to happen soon, that much he knew for sure.

“I love you and your silly sweater paws, you little nerd.” Nico whispered into Levi’s ear, earning him a small smile from the almost-sleeping Levi, who cuddled further into Nico’s chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to find me on Tumblr at [theswiftiewholived](https://theswiftiewholived.tumblr.com/)!


	16. Valentine's Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi and Nico spend their first Valentine's Day together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got an anonymous ask stating: Prompt; Nico and Levi's first valentines day togther
> 
> Normally, I post chapters in this story in the order I posted them on Tumblr, but I wanted to post this one first since the Valentine's Day episode of Grey's is this week. This story is pretty cheesy, but I had fun with it. So I hope you enjoy!

Levi Schmitt opened his locker in the intern lounge to find a single red rose leaning against the internal wall. He noticed a note attached, which read:

_I know this gift is so cliche, but you make me want to do all the romantic cliches. Happy Valentine’s Day, handsome._

_-Nico_

Levi held the note to his chest and closed his eyes, trying to calm his racing heartbeat. He withdrew the rose and gave it a smell, savoring the freshness of the scent. Nico must have picked the flower up this morning before his shift. Levi placed the rose back in his locker, hoping it would keep fresh for the rest of his shift, but knowing that was a pipe dream. Maybe he’d find a cup of water to keep it in later. Smiling once more at the rose, he placed the note in the pocket of his lab coat and made his way to rounds.

 

Nico Kim had packed a sandwich for lunch, being that he was a bit sick of the cafeteria options. Once he opened his locker to grab his food, he noticed a small heart-shaped box of chocolates and a little stuffed animal sitting in the middle of his locker. He grabbed the small note from the box and read:

_You always gush about my “doe-eyes” so I figured this little stuffed doe could stand in for me when we can’t be together. And the chocolates seemed obligatory. Happy Valentine’s Day, darling._

_-Levi_

Nico grabbed the small deer and smiled, loving the uniqueness of the gift. While the stuffed animal’s eyes had nothing on Levi’s, Nico still felt warm and fuzzy knowing the true meaning behind the gift. He settled the doe back in his locker, placed the note in his pocket, and grabbed his lunch.

 

Levi spotted Nico down the hallway, inspecting a chart. The on-call room behind him was enticing, but Levi had to go scrub in on a surgery in 10 minutes. He settled for stopping next to Nico and placing a hand on top of his, causing the fellow to look up. Nico immediately beamed. “There’s those doe-eyes.” He glanced around before placing a small kiss to Levi’s forehead.

“Thank you for the rose. It’s perfect.” Levi was practically glowing in his excitement.

“And your gift was adorable. I love it. I know this is super late notice, but it’s looking like we’ll both be done around 9 tonight. Care to come over for a late dinner? Nothing fancy.” Nico smiled hopefully.

“You want to spend Valentine’s with me?” Levi figured the rose would be all he got in the way of a Valentine’s celebration.

“Of course. I know it’s just a dumb, made-up Hallmark holiday, but I like the romance of it all. And you’re my boyfriend. I want to spend everyday with you.” Nico shrugged, as though that should be obvious.

“I’m… I’m your boyfriend?” Levi stuttered out.

Nico’s smile faltered. “Uh, yeah, at least, I thought so. Are you, uh, are you not?”

“You want me to be your boyfriend?” Levi gave a devastatingly hopeful smile.

“Uh, yeah. Kind of a lot, actually.” Nico’s smile regained some of its brightness.

“You want me to be your boyfriend, and you want to spend Valentine’s Day with me? And I’m fully awake right now? Not dreaming?” Levi was wide-eyed in disbelief.

Nico gave Levi’s arm a tiny pinch. “You tell me.”

Levi beamed. “Wide awake!”

They stayed staring and smiling at each other for a moment before Nico remembered his question. “So… dinner?”

Levi was broken from his reverie by the question. “Oh! Yes! Perfect! I’ll meet you by the entrance.” He gave Nico’s hand a squeeze before heading off to his surgery.

 

Nico and Levi met at the entrance around 9 and made their way to Nico’s car. Levi’s mom had to borrow his car today, so Levi had taken an Uber to work, which turned out to be convenient for their current situation. The car ride was mostly silent, but Nico held Levi’s hand over the gear shift and they shared small smiles at red lights. When they entered Nico’s apartment, Levi gently pushed Nico up against the door and gave him a lingering kiss. He broke off and noticed a fire in Nico’s eyes, which made Levi feel powerful and wanted.

“I believe I promised you some dinner.” Nico stroked Levi’s cheek before making his way into the kitchen.

They had a simple dinner of spaghetti and meatballs with some red wine and ice cream for dessert. Nico had found some candles - scented ones from Bath and Body Works but candles nonetheless - and lit them to give his small dining table a romantic feel. Conversation flowed easily, with both discussing their days and telling old Valentine’s Day fails.

“Turns out he was hanging out with me so much because I was lab partners with the girl he liked. So he thought the chocolates I gave him were a gift for him to give to her.” Levi was roaring with laughter as Nico recounted an embarrassing Valentine’s Day fail from college.

“Wow! I never would have thought anyone would ever reject you!” Levi wiped a tear from his eye.

“Alas, some men are actually completely straight.” Nico smiled fondly at Levi’s amusement, so happy he could make him react in such a manner.

“Ah, I remember those days that I thought I was completely straight. Then you came along.” Levi softened and looked at Nico with what he hoped was a seductive expression.

“You’re incredible. You know, I used to hate this day. I thought it was cheesy and overdone. But you make me want to do every grand romantic gesture.” Nico admitted with a blush.

“I don’t need that. I just need you.” Levi stood up and went around the table to sit in Nico’s lap. Nico immediately encircled his waist and leaned in for a kiss.

After a few minutes of lazily making out, Levi broke away, causing Nico to give a noise of protest. “Shh. I was just going to suggest we engage in another cliche Valentine’s Day tradition. Uh, sex. Valentine’s Day sex. Let’s have sex.” Levi swallowed, searching Nico’s face for a reaction.

Nico was silent for a beat and then stood up, picking up Levi (who quickly wrapped his legs around Nico) in the process. “Yup. Let’s do that. Sometimes cheesy and overdone is great. Let’s have so much Valentine’s Day sex.” Nico carried Levi into the bedroom and the other man laughed, both so happy to get to spend this time together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to find me on Tumblr at [theswiftiewholived](https://theswiftiewholived.tumblr.com/)!


	17. Protection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone attacks Levi and Nico steps up to protect him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got an anonymous ask stating: Someone physically hurting Levi and Nico stepping up
> 
> Since Protective Nico is now canon, this seems the perfect time to post this ficlet. Also, there's some sensitive language in this one, including some homophobic slurs, so be warned about that. I hope you enjoy!

Nico Kim rounded the corner, on his way to meet his boyfriend, Levi Schmitt, at a new gay bar that had recently opened up in the Capitol Hill area of the Seattle. He had just gotten off his shift at the hospital and was excited to spend the night loosening up with the man he adored. As he made his way to the entrance of the bar, he noticed a scuffle taking place on the street. He quickened his pace, only to notice a burly man leaning over someone, raining punches and kicks down on them.

“Hey! HEY!” Nico hurried even more and pulled the man off of the other one. Restraining the man, he looked down at the other, only to notice a familiar pair of glasses and tufts of fluffy hair. He wheeled towards the attacker, seeing only red, and threw a punch, hitting him square in the jaw.

“Fuck off, dude! I was just showing this fag that he doesn’t deserve to flaunt his gayness around,” The man spat.

Nico wrapped a hand around the man’s neck and slammed him into the wall of the building. “That  _man_  is the greatest person I have ever met. He deserves to be exactly who he is wherever he chooses to.”

“Ni-Nico! Nico, please don’t.” Levi had regained consciousness and was hobbling towards Nico, trying to stop him from attacking the man. “He’s not worth it.”

“Yeah, listen to the fairy.” Nico turned back to the man and landed another punch to his face.

“Babe, call 911. We’re gonna get this guy arrested and get you to the hospital.” Nico demanded, still glaring at the man.

Suddenly, the man spat in Nico’s face, a mixture of spit and blood, as a result of the multiple punches to his face. “Oh, so you’re a fag too, huh? Let me go. I could take you.”

“I am a wall of muscle, and it’s not just for show. I could knock you out with one more punch and I would feel nothing. Absolutely nothing. And you hurt the man I love, so my rage is only going to make me stronger. Trust me, you don’t want to ‘take me.’” Nico wiped his face with his free hand.

 

Soon, the police showed up and arrested the man, who Nico had kept restrained and barely stopped himself from knocking out. He then got into the ambulance with Levi and held his hand while they rode to the hospital.

When they pulled up the ER entrance, he hopped out and was met with Drs. Owen Hunt and  Casey Parker.

“Dr. Kim, what happened? Who’s in there?” Owen asked.

“It’s Levi. I came up on someone attacking him. We need to get him treated immediately. He has several broken ribs and a punctured lung.” Nico explained, as they wheeled Levi into the ER.

“Okay, Parker page Drs. Grey and Lincoln. Dr. Kim, I know you’re a bone guy, but I don’t think you can be in on this one. I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. It’s fine. Just, please take good care of him.” Nico pleaded.

 

Nico watched from the gallery as Meredith and Link operated on Levi and repaired his lung and ribs. He made his way to his recovery room and gave a relieved sigh when he saw he was awake. After making his way to his bedside, he grabbed his hand and stroked his hair.

“Hey you. How you feeling?” Nico asked, soothingly.

“Like a homophobic asshole beat the living daylights out of me.” Levi said, giving a small, humorless laugh.

“What happened?” Nico asked with a furrowed brow.

“I was waiting for you and he just came up and starting spewing a bunch of slurs at me. I tried to ignore him, but that only angered him more and he just… hit me. And kept hitting me until I fell and then he kicked me repeatedly. And then you showed up.” Levi explained, wincing in pain occasionally.

“I’m sorry, I should have been there sooner. I’m so sorry.” Nico carded his fingers through Levi’s hair.

“Not your fault. You showed up before it was too late and that’s what matters. So thanks for that.” Levi smiled and leaned up for a kiss, which Nico gladly gave to him.

“I love you. I will always be there to protect you,” Nico assured him.

“I don’t need a protector. But I love you too and if you want to step in when I need you, that’s fine too.” Levi countered, with a smirk.

“Always. I will always be there for you.” They shared a smile and Nico settled into the chair in Levi’s room, preparing for a much different night than they had originally planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to find me on Tumblr at [theswiftiewholived](https://theswiftiewholived.tumblr.com/)!


	18. It Makes Me Ill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi starts having some troubling symptoms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got an anonymous ask saying: How about really ill Levi?
> 
> [gleeandotherstuff](https://gleeandotherstuff.tumblr.com/) also asked for something similar. 
> 
> Also, I am not a medical or science person; I have a Classics and English degree. I used Google for much of the medical parts of this story so if something seems inaccurate or odd, feel free to let me know and I can make a change. I hope you enjoy!

Nico Kim had overslept. Levi Schmitt had a later shift than he did that day and had set an alarm for an hour after Nico needed to be up. Nico had forgotten to set an alarm entirely. So he woke up late and had to rush through his morning routine to make it to hospital on time. When he leaned down to give Levi a quick kiss goodbye, the other man winced.

“What, did I forget to brush my teeth? Do I smell bad?” Nico huffed a breath into his hand and held it to his nose. Nope, minty fresh.

“No, no. Just a stomach cramp.” Levi said, clutching his side.

“Again? You’ve been having those a lot recently. Have you been eating anything weird?”

“No. Actually, I haven’t really been eating much at all.” Levi admitted.

Nico furrowed his brow. “Babe. That’s not good. You know what this could be, don’t you?”

Levi closed his eyes and sighed. “I’ll talk to Dr. Grey today. I’ll get a test done.”

Levi caught up to Meredith Grey as she was leaving the OR. He fell in stride next to her and nervously fiddled with his hands.

“You need something, Schmitt?” Meredith asked, somewhat exasperated.

“I, um, I’ve been having abdominal pain. And loss of appetite. And bad heartburn.” Levi stuttered out.

“Try an antacid?”

“My dad died of stomach cancer. They caught it too late and he passed away when I was 7.” Levi rushed through this explanation.

Meredith stopped in her tracks and turned to him. “Let’s run some tests.”

 

After receiving an endoscopic ultrasound and biopsy, Levi was holed up in a hospital bed, awaiting his results. Nico had been popping in and out to check on him whenever he had time during his shift.

Meredith appeared at his bedside with his biopsy results. “I’ve paged Dr. Kim. I assume you want him here for this?” Levi nodded.

Just then, Nico skidded into the room. “Sorry, sorry! I’m here.” He made his way to Levi’s side and grabbed his hand.

“Okay, Dr Schmitt, we examined the ultrasound and biopsy results. We’ve determined that you have Stage IIB stomach cancer.”

Levi let out a sob, while Nico squeezed his hand and asked, “What does that mean? What do we do?”

“Well, it means we’ve caught it fairly early. Now, that means it’s still somewhat localized and hasn’t spread to any distant sites. The 5-year survival rate this stage is 68%, which are not bad odds. We will need to schedule a surgery for you soon to get the tumor removed and hopefully just part of your stomach. But you’ll need to be put on chemo before the surgery. That will better our chances of taking out the tumor successfully.” Meredith tried to be as clinical as possible to ensure they understood the reality of the situation.

“But it’s definitely stomach cancer? This is real?” Levi asked, hoarsely.

“Yes, Schmitt, I’m afraid so. But you’re one of us so you better believe we’re going to fight our hardest for you.” Meredith softened her tone to highlight her sincerity. “I’ll leave you two to discuss.” She left the room and closed the door.

Levi immediately broke down once the door was closed and squeezed Nico’s hand tightly. “I don’t wanna die. I don’t want to leave you. There’s still so much for me. I want to beat out my friends to become chief resident. I want to choose my speciality and become a fellow and then an attending. I want to spend every second of free time I have with you. I’m not ready.”

Nico engulfed Levi in a gentle hug, not wanting to jostle him too much. “You’re going to get through this.  _We’re_  going to get through this. I love you and I am going to be with you through every step of this process. I will make sure you don’t drop your glasses in the toilet when the chemo makes you vomit. And I will make sure to carry snacks with me at all times so when you have a partial stomach and have to eat more often, I’ll be able to help you. We’re in this together. Forever.”

Levi gave a watery laugh. “Are you proposing right now?”

Nico withdrew from the hug and made eye contact with Levi. “Not yet. Not now. I don’t want it to be the result of such a traumatic event. It’s going to be genuine and real and probably such a boring time in our lives.”

“Or maybe I’ll propose to you. I’ll realize that life is fleeting and I want to spend the rest of my life, however long that may be, by your side.” Levi teased, but there was a definite note of reality to it.

“So we’re in agreement. It’s going to happen at some time.” Nico smiled.

“Yeah. But after I lose part of my stomach.” Levi gave a sad smile.

“I love you regardless of how much of a stomach you have.” Nico stroked Levi’s hair.

 

Meredith returned to give information about the chemotherapy Levi would be receiving as well as figure out the logistics of his upcoming surgery. Thanks to Richard Webber’s cancer detecting pen, they’d have an easier time knowing which part of the stomach to remove. Meredith would lead the surgery, with Jo Karev and Taryn Helm in the OR as well.

“We’re gonna beat this, Schmitt,” Meredith reassured the two worried surgeons.

Levi and Nico were certainly scared, but they knew they had the best possible people on their side. It would be a long and difficult journey, but they had each other and somehow, that would be enough to get them through anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to find me on Tumblr at [theswiftiewholived](https://theswiftiewholived.tumblr.com/)!


	19. Side Effects

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi starts chemo and feels the side effects.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got an anonymous ask asking me followup the sick Levi ficlet I wrote. This story follows the previous story in this work, so I recommend reading that first.
> 
> I haven't written anymore followups, but I probably will continue this story. I hope you enjoy!

Nico Kim was woken up in the early hours of the morning by the sound of retching coming from the ensuite. His boyfriend - his love - Levi Schmitt, had had a dose of chemotherapy the day before and was feeling the affects. He had been diagnosed with Stage IIB stomach cancer and was in chemo prior to his subtotal gastrectomy this coming week. Nico jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom to find Levi hunched over a toilet and sobbing. He knelt down next to him and rubbed his back.

“Hey, shh. You’re okay, you’re okay.” Nico tried to soothe as Levi began to dry-heave.

Levi sat up and turned to Nico. He had begun to lose some of his hair due to the chemo and now had no more stubble or eyebrows. They had debated shaving his head, but his surgery was soon and he hadn’t been losing much of the hair on his head.

“I’m so gross. People looked at us before, but now they’re even more confused. I mean, look at me! I’m weak and haggard and have no hair on my face. And you just become more handsome each day. Just leave me. I’m not worth it.” Levi sobbed and gave Nico a weak shove.

Nico immediately engulfed Levi in an embrace. “Never. I will never leave you. You are my everything. You are still so gorgeous. And wonderful and sweet and so  _so_  strong. You are worth the world. The galaxy. The universe!”

“I’m damaged goods. I’m a mess. Before I was clumsy and nerdy and it was maybe endearing. But now I’m sick and I may never get better. I may lose my stomach. Or my life.”

“I. Don’t. Care.” He punctuated each word with a kiss, not even caring that Levi had just vomited. “I want to spend every moment you have by your side. And Meredith is going to make sure you have so many more moments. So lose all your hair and throw up all your food. I don’t care at all. I love you no matter what.”

Levi became wracked with sobs and he clung tightly to Nico. “Everything hurts all the time. I’m so overwhelmed by all of this. What am I supposed to do?”

Nico clutched Levi tighter. “You’re supposed to fight and not give up. And believe me when I tell you I love you and will never leave you.”

Nico held Levi on the floor of their bathroom as he sobbed. They stayed like that for a while, until Levi had cried all his tears and tired himself out. Nico carried him to their bed and tucked him in tight with a kiss on his forehead and a whispered “I love you.” They had a long road ahead of them but there was no question that they would get through this together and come out stronger for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to find me on Tumblr at [theswiftiewholived](https://theswiftiewholived.tumblr.com/)!


	20. Study Buddy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico helps Levi study for his exams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [mysinopse](https://mysinopse.tumblr.com/) asked for Levi and Nico studying and for Levi calling Nico a ortho god. [USP](https://archiveofourown.org/users/USP/pseuds/USP/) also asked for Nico helping Levi study. I hope you enjoy!

”Awesome, dude, you got it!” Nico Kim exclaimed while giving Levi Schmitt a high five. The two were currently sitting cross-legged across from each other on Nico’s couch, both in pajamas. Scattered around them and in Nico’s hands were a multitude of different colored flashcards. This night would usually be designated as date night, but the Grey + Sloan interns had their exam coming up and Levi was determined to not only pass, but pass with flying colors. As such, he recruited Nico, who was already a fellow, to help him study.

Levi gave a small smile. “But it’s easier like this. I’m comfortable with you. I’m going to be way more nervous during the actual exam.”

Nico considered this statement for a moment before pulling his t-shirt over his head. Levi let out a strangled noise of surprise. “There. Now you’re nervous.”

“Yeah, and turned on! That’s not how it’ll be either.” Levi huffed, eyes focused on Nico’s stupidly sculpted torso.

“This is the best I can offer. Okay, think of it this way: I’m some guy you’re trying to impress. You met me at a party or the beach or somewhere and you want to make me swoon with your medical knowledge.” Nico offered.

“No one who looks like you is approaching me at the beach.” Levi scoffed.

“I’m approaching you at the beach. Not someone who looks like me, actually me. We’re literally dating. You can’t keep claiming you’re not my type.” Nico pointed out with a grin.

“Oh. Right. Well, are you also a doctor in this scenario? Because I don’t think random, shirtless, and hot beach guy is going to care about,” Levi snuck a peak at a flashcard, “the rectus abdominis unless he’s a doctor.”

Nico blinked a few times and gave an amused grin. “Think about what that is and look at me.”

Suddenly, it dawned on Levi. “Ha, so actually random, shirtless, and hot beach guy would be very interested in the rectus abdominis. And I’m definitely interested in his rectus abdominis…”

Levi was then struck with an idea. He reached out his hand and brushed over Nico’s abs as he began to discuss each muscle in his torso. As he explained the function and common injuries associated with each muscle, he made sure to skim his hand over the area, indicating he knew where it was located. Nico was looking at him through hooded eyes with a wicked grin on his face, seemingly very impressed with this new method.

Once Levi had made his way through all the abdominal muscles, Nico cleared his throat. “You’d certainly have bedded random beach guy if you went with that approach.”

“Eh, I’ll settle for you.” Levi teased. “But how’d I do? You’re literally an ortho god, so I’m sure it wasn’t that impressive, but was I at least right?”

“It was perfect. You’ve clearly been studying hard and paying attention. You’re going to kill this exam.” Nico replied with intense sincerity. He pulled Levi into his lap and gave him a soft kiss on the temple. “You’re well on your way to becoming a god in whatever area you want to specialize in.”

Levi wrapped his arms around Nico’s shoulders and buried his face in his neck. “I’m sleepy.” He mumbled.

Nico hummed. “We’ve done a lot of studying tonight. I think you’ve earned some sleep. Let’s go, babe.”

Nico carried Levi to bed and the two spent some time lazily making out, but both were too tired for anything else that night. Maybe studying on their date night wasn’t ideal, but they appreciated every moment they had together. And Nico knew how important this exam was for Levi and his career, which made him even more inclined to help him study. They’d have time for normal couple-y things when Levi was a full-fledged resident and the exams were well behind him. But for now, this arrangement worked for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to find me on Tumblr at [theswiftiewholived](https://theswiftiewholived.tumblr.com/)!


	21. Furbaby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi and Nico add a member to their little family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [desertwiccanchicken](http://desertwiccanchicken.tumblr.com/) sent in the following ask: If you are still on a Schmico kick, would you mind writing them adopting a puppy or kitten? Like just walking out in a park on a gorgeous day and both falling in love with a baby animal at an adoption fair? I just need all the Schmico fluff in my life. Thank you for even considering this ask. I love your work by the way!

Nico Kim and Levi Schmitt were smitten with each other. They had been together for a few months and had just spent their first Valentine’s Day together. For Nico, it represented finally finding the right guy who made him feel complete, whereas for Levi, it represented finding a place to belong and truly become himself. Both thought this relationship was it for them, but it felt a bit too soon to admit it. That didn’t stop Nico from dropping every hint possible that Levi should move in with him.

Currently, they were walking through a park near Nico’s apartment, hand in hand and having an easy conversation about anything and everything.

“Wait, you were pre-med and a national champion tennis player in college?” Levi exclaimed, astonished by Nico’s ability to juggle such demanding workloads.

Nico shrugged. “Tennis was a great way for me to calm down and destress. It was just a plus that I was actually really good at it.”

Levi gave a fond laugh. “I’m beginning to think you’re really good at everything.”

“No. I can’t knit.” Levi erupted into laughter. “I’m serious! I drop stitches like crazy.”

“So maybe you’re not perfect after all.” They gazed into each other’s eyes, captivated by the other’s presence. Suddenly, their loved-up staring contest was broken up by a loud meow.

Turning, they both noticed a little cluster of cages with animals in them and a table with a poster for a local animal shelter. Apparently, they did pet adoptions in the park every Saturday morning, a fact neither man knew because they hadn’t both had time to stroll through the park on a Saturday morning. Levi pulled Nico towards the cages, cooing at how adorable the whole display was and how lucky they were to be here to witness it.

“Nico, look at this cutie!” Levi stuck a finger in between the bars of a cage containing the cat which had meowed at them, a small ball of fluff with tuxedo coloring. The cat nuzzled against Levi’s finger and continued to meow loudly at him. “She likes me!”

“Of course she does. You’re the best.” Nico whispered, leaning in to stroke the cat as well.

“Shush, you! I’m serious, the cat seems to really have taken a shine to me. And you.” After a curious sniff at Nico hand, the cat had begun to rub her head against his hand.

“Oh wow, Lily hasn’t taken to anyone this quickly before.” A woman had appeared next to the cage, drawing the attention of the two men and the cat. “She’s generally more cautious.”

“She called us over, actually.” Levi was still absentmindedly playing with the cat, who was purring loudly.

The lady grew wide-eyed. “She did?!”

Nico furrowed his brow. “Is that bad?”

“She’s never done that. She tends to just hide when people approach her and she certainly isn’t beckoning anyone to her.”

“Well, she likes us. Don’t you, Lily?” Levi cooed as he rubbed under the cat’s chin. She purred loudly and jutted up her chin to give Levi more area to pet.

“Listen, I know this may seem abrupt, but are you too looking to adopt? Lily has been with us for a few months now and is just so shy. We’re worried she may never have the confidence to make a true connection. But here you two are!” The lady was practically bouncing with excitement.

“Oh, we’re not -”

“Actually, we would be interested.” Nico interrupted.

“We would?” Levi turned to Nico, surprised.

“Well, why not? My apartment building is pet friendly and a cat would work with our weird hours. And she needs a good home. We have that.” Nico shrugged, as though this huge step in their relationship was no big deal.

“Oh, wonderful!” The lady clapped her hands. “Let me go get the paperwork.” She walked off as Levi turned back to Nico.

“So she would be your cat, I guess. If she’s living with you. But I’ll get to see her a lot.” Levi seemed somewhat disappointed

“Or… she could be both of ours,” Nico suggested.

“What are you saying?” Levi asked, confused.

“I’m saying, you should move in with me. I’ve been meaning to ask for weeks, but the timing never seemed right. Well, here’s the catalyst I needed. Live with me and Lily and we can be this cute little family.” Nico looked so hopeful and cautious, as though expecting to be shot down.

“You really want that?” Levi was wide-eyed and Nico couldn’t look away.

“I really do. Move in with me, babe. Let’s get a cat and be so sickeningly domestic.” Nico couldn’t help his wide smile.

“Yeah. Yeah, let’s do it!” Levi surged forward to give Nico a hug.

That was how the lady found them a few moments later: wrapped in an embrace with blinding smiles. They filled out the necessary paperwork and soon had a cardboard carrier in hand that was meowing loudly. After a trip to the closest Petco, they brought Lily and her new accessories back to Nico’s - their - apartment. When they let her out of the carrier, she roamed the area, smelling every surface, before curling up on the couch.

“She’s already right at home.” Levi laughed.

“Well, it is her home now. And your home now. It’s our home.” Nico wrapped his arms around Levi from the back and the two swayed on the spot for a while, basking in the love they shared and home they were building. Lily meowed loudly from the couch, calling the two men over. They laughed and made their way to her, allowing her to curl up between them. In that moment, everything was warm and lovely and perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to find me on Tumblr at [theswiftiewholived](https://theswiftiewholived.tumblr.com/)!


	22. I Think I Wanna Marry You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico has a question for Levi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got an anonymous ask with the following prompt: how about nico getting the help of all the other doctors to set up a cute proposal for levi?? 💗

Nico Kim was more than ready to marry Levi Schmitt. The two had been together and happily in love for a couple of years at this point. Sure, things had gotten complicated due to their demanding schedules, but never once did their love for each other lapse. He knew Levi deserved the perfect proposal and Nico had been spending the past couple weeks planning such a proposal.

Levi entered the hospital and was immediately ambushed by the three other residents in his year: Taryn Helm, Casey Parker, and Dahlia Qadri. He began to protest, but they shushed him and led him to a room where Maggie Pierce, the head of cardio, was standing near a heart monitor. Attached to the machine was Nico, whose heartbeat increased as Levi made eye contact with him.

“This is what you do to me. You literally make my heart race.” Nico smiled at the bewildered expression on Levi’s face. “Ask Maggie. It was perfectly normal until you showed up.”

“It’s true. His heart rate has elevated in your presence.” Maggie confirmed.

Maggie helped detach Nico from the machine, who then approached Levi and engulfed him in a hug. “Follow me.” He whispered and grabbed Levi’s hand to pull him to Amelia Shepherd’s lab.

“Welcome doctors. I’d like you both to look at these brain scans.” Amelia directed them to look at a series of scans. “As you can see, these scans are of normal brain activity. But these,” She indicated a second set of scans, “show increased activity in the temporal lobe which we would normally associate with, well, love.”

“That second one is me. That’s my brain. I had Amelia scan my brain when I was thinking about you. Well, I’m always thinking about you. But when I was consciously and strongly thinking about you.” Nico explained.

Levi turned to Nico, wide-eyed and open-mouthed. “I… what?”

“You’ll see. Thank you, Amelia. Let’s go.” Nico led them to a skills lab, where Meredith Grey and Jo Karev stood with a model of a stomach on the screen.

“Dr. Schmitt, this patient is experiencing a swooping sensation in his stomach. What could it be?” Meredith questioned.

“Um. It could be some side effect of anxiety?” Levi was utterly confused and overwhelmed by what was happening.

“Good guess. But no, it’s something else.” Jo tapped the stomach, causing a kaleidoscope of butterflies to burst from within. “He has butterflies in his stomach.”

“You give me butterflies. All the time. I always have butterflies with you.” Nico nuzzled his nose against Levi’s temple. “One more stop, babe.”

Nico led them to a bed in the ER, around which all the other doctors were gathered. Atticus Lincoln gave Nico a pat on the shoulder as he came to stand beside him, Jackson Avery, and Owen Hunt. “This is where I first saw you. We were on a case together. And soulmates were discussed in the OR. How were we to know, at that time, that that case would bring us our soulmate? But here you are, the perfect man for me. So, Levi Schmitt,” Nico fished a small box out of his pocket and got down on one knee, “will you, as my soulmate, as the one who gets my heart rate up, makes my brain scan light up, and gives me butterflies, please, please marry me?”

Levi covered his mouth with his hand to stifle a sob. “Really? You really want to marry me?”

“So, so much. More than anything in this universe.” Nico rasped out as he was getting choked up.

Levi began to nod vigorously. “Yes. Yes. A million times yes!” Nico launched up and latched onto Levi, peppering his face with kisses. Behind them, the doctors erupted into applause as the two fiances embraced.

 

Later, while the two were cuddled up in bed after a round of celebratory sex, Nico explained why he wanted to involve the other doctors in the proposal. “They’ve been there since the beginning of our relationship. And the hospital has been such a big part of us as well. I hope you don’t mind how grand and public it was.”

Levi leaned over to give Nico a small kiss. “No, it was perfect. I felt so special and loved. Thank you so much. I love you, fiance.”

Nico beamed. “I love you too, fiance.” They shared a long, deep kiss before drifting off the sleep, tangled together and magnificently happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to find me on Tumblr at [theswiftiewholived](https://theswiftiewholived.tumblr.com/)!


	23. Nose Kisses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The origin of the Schmico nose kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got an anonymous ask stating: orthoglasses mentionned schmico nose kisses and then never wrote it. it's fluffy as hell. please do it?

It had started by accident. Nico Kim had just come off of a 24 hour shift, during which he had almost no downtime, and was about to fall asleep standing up. As he made his way to the entrance to catch his Uber, he came across Levi Schmitt leaning against a nurses’ station, looking incredibly enticing.

“Hey you. Wow, you look exhausted, babe.” Levi dropped the term of endearment so casually that it caused Nico’s heart to skip a beat.

“I had about one hour of rest this whole 24 hour shift. I’m about to take a nap in the Uber home.” Nico came over to lean against the desk with Levi.

“Well, I won’t keep you. By the way, you’re cute when you’re sleepy.” Levi said with a laugh in his voice.

Nico gave a sleepy smile and leaned down to give Levi a small kiss, but in his sleep-deprived state, his lips landed on his nose instead of his lips. Embarrassed, he pulled back, to see Levi grinning and scrunching his nose adorably. “I meant to do that.”

“Mhm. Go, sleepyhead.” Levi gave him a small shove towards the door.

But after that day, whenever they only had a few moments to see each other during or between shifts, Nico would give Levi a small kiss on the nose and he would always scrunch up his nose in that painfully adorable way.

Levi’s nose kissing tradition began late one night they had been lucky enough to be able to spend together. He was lying on top of Nico, whose eyes were closed, lazily tracing the lines of his face with a finger. Occasionally, he’d give a little nip to his jaw and kiss to his lips, causing Nico to sigh contentedly. At one such moment, when he meant to meet Nico’s lips, he misjudged and hit his nose.

“Hey, that’s my move!” Nico pouted, eyes still closed in quiet pleasure.

“It was a mistake. But you have a very pleasant nose. Great for kissing.” Levi emphasized this statement with another kiss to Nico’s nose.

Nico slowly opened his eyes to meet Levi’s. “I guess we can share that move.” He sighed in fake exasperation.

“Oh, you love it.” Levi playfully smacked Nico’s bare chest.

“I love you.” Nico leaned up for a small kiss.

So while Nico would give Levi small nose kisses as a greeting at work, Levi would give Nico’s nose small kisses in his post-sex bliss. Soon, it just became a regular way for them to show affection, even at random times at home or while out and about. And thus is the origin story of Nico Kim and Levi Schmitt’s habit of nose kisses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to find me on Tumblr at [theswiftiewholived](https://theswiftiewholived.tumblr.com/)!


	24. Nerves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi is nervous. Nico calms him down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did a prompt challenge with sentences and this short story is one of them. The prompt line is bolded.

Nico Kim woke up at 3 in the morning to his alarm, due to having a ridiculously early shift that day. He felt blindly for his phone and turned off his alarm, before realizing the bed next to him felt empty. Levi Schmitt, who had spent the night even though he knew Nico had an early shift, was not lying next to him. Nico pouted to himself and threw off the covers. He made his way into the living room to find Levi sitting on the couch with a mug of tea, watching TV at a low volume.

“Babe?  **Why are you awake right now?** ”

Levi startled and turned quickly to Nico, causing his glasses to go askew. He reached up to adjust them and Nico noticed how tired he looked. “Hey. Is it 3 already? I’m sorry, I couldn’t sleep and I lost track of time.”

Nico padded over and settled next to Levi on the couch, taking one of his hands. “What’s wrong?”

Levi sighed. “I’m just nervous for my exams. I’m worried I’m going to go all… ‘Glasses’ and mess it up.” He shrugged and turned his head.

Nico used his free hand to swivel Levi’s head back to look at him. “Hey, none of that. You’ve been studying so hard and you’re doing brilliantly. Didn’t you tell me Dr. Grey has been majorly impressed with you lately? She’s an awarding-winning surgeon and a true legend!”

“Yeah, but what if I’m still that loser who dropped his glasses in a patient or fainted on another one?”

“You’re not. You never were. Our mistakes do not define us. You’re an incredible surgeon who is smart,” Kiss, “brave,” Kiss. “and capable.”

“I love you, ya know?” Levi’s eyes were shining.

“Love you right back.” Nico smacked another kiss onto Levi’s lips. “Now go to bed! Your shift isn’t for another 6 hours so you have plenty of time!”

Levi drained the rest of his mug of tea and staggered off to the bedroom, still nervous but aware someone special was in his corner, cheering him along the whole way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to find me on Tumblr at [theswiftiewholived](https://theswiftiewholived.tumblr.com/)!


	25. Phish Food

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico and Levi have a fight over ice cream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is another fill for the number prompt challenge. The prompt phrase is bolded.

Nico Kim opened the freezer, hoping to relax after a long day with the pint of Phish Food he had purchased for himself the day before. He thought he had placed it at the front of the freezer, but didn’t see it. After rifling through the frozen vegetables and other, sub-par ice cream flavors, he came to the conclusion it was not in there.

“Hey, babe?” Nico called to Levi Schmitt, his boyfriend.

“Yeah?” Levi called back from the couch in the living room.

“Have you seen my ice cream?” Nico started to make his way into the living room.

“Hm? What kind?”

“Phish -” Nico had made it to the couch and noticed Levi holding a half-empty pint of ice cream.  _His_  ice cream. “Food. Give that back!”

Levi hugged the pint to his chest protectively. “No! I had a 36 hour shift and this is the greatest thing I’ve ever tasted in my life.”

“Put down the Phish Food!” Nico demanded from the doorway.

“ **Come over here and make me.** ” Levi raised an eyebrow in challenge.

Nico bounded over to the couch and tried to wrestle the pint from Levi’s hands. Once he was able to successfully obtain the ice cream, he held it aloft in celebration, before looking down and noticing Levi lying on the couch. He had evidently been moved into the position in the struggle. Nico took one look at him, eyes shining and lips pouted, before placing the ice cream on the coffee table and settling on top of Levi.

“I think I found something sweeter.” Nico rasped, giving Levi a small kiss.

Levi sighed contentedly, with his eyes still closed from the kiss. “So cheesy.”

By the time they remembered the ice cream, it had melted into a small puddle of chocolate soup. Neither man could get himself to care all that much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to find me on Tumblr at [theswiftiewholived](https://theswiftiewholived.tumblr.com/)!


	26. Airport Goodbyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico and Levi say goodbye at the airport.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I received an anonymous ask stating: Small fic about the boys being all cute when saying goodbye as Nico leaves to spend Christmas with his family <3
> 
> So this is pretty old... I'm behind, sue me! But I hope you enjoy!

“I’ll miss you.” Levi Schmitt bobbed up and down on the tips of his toes. His hands were entangled with Nico Kim’s, resting between the two of them.

“I’ll only be gone for a couple days. I fly back on Christmas.” Nico stroked the back of Levi’s hands with his thumbs.

Levi shrugged. “I know. But I’ll still miss you. Is that bad? We’ve only been… whatever we are for a little over a month. Is that weird?”

“It would be weird if I wasn’t feeling the same way.” Nico leaned down to rest his forehead against Levi’s.

The two men were standing outside the airport, Levi having dropped Nico off to catch his Christmas Eve Eve flight to see his family in Sacramento. Nico had been lucky enough to get both Christmas Eve and Christmas off, a rare occurrence for a doctor. He had promised his mom that he’d do his best to make it home for Christmas, so he had booked his flight as soon as he got his schedule. However, that meant that he would have to be away from Levi for a couple of days. It wasn’t that big of a deal, but their relationship was so new and they hadn’t spent that much time apart since its inception.

“You’re sure you have everything? I don’t want you to get all the way onto your flight only to realize you forgot deodorant.” Levi’s eyes were closed as he whispered his concern.

Nico smiled and gave Levi a small kiss. “I have everything. And if I don’t, my parents will have extras for me. I’ll text you constantly. You’ll get so sick of seeing my name on your phone.”

“Never. I will never lose the little thrill I get when I get a message from you.” Levi pulled back to meet Nico’s eyes in order to emphasize how much he meant his statement.

Nico lifted a hand to stroke Levi’s cheek. “I’m telling my family I have a boyfriend. And I’m going to show them so many pictures of you. They’re going to gush over how cute you are and tell me you’re way too good for me. But I’m telling them you’re my boyfriend. That cool?”

Levi inhaled sharply and squeaked out a, “so cool,” before grabbing the back of Nico’s neck to pull him into a kiss.

When they separated, Nico reluctantly let go of Levi and grabbed his bag. “I gotta go. And I don’t think you’re allowed to be in the drop-off lane this long. You’re in the ICU on Christmas night?”

“Yeah.” Levi nodded.

“I have a late shift. I’ll come find you.” Nico leaned down for one more kiss before making his way into the airport.

Levi watched him until he was out of sight, sighed, and made his way into his car. He tried to suppress the silly grin threatening to take over his face, almost succeeding, until he felt his phone buzz and looked down to find a message from Nico reading: Waiting in line for security. Miss you already. 😘

“So cheesy.” Levi whispered to himself, before sending off a kiss emoji in response and making his way home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to find me on Tumblr at [theswiftiewholived](https://theswiftiewholived.tumblr.com/)!


	27. Auld Lang Syne

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico and Levi celebrate New Year's.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got an anonymous ask stating: Prompt: Nico asking Levi to be his plus one to the NYE party, what they say when they first see each other in their tuxes (cause HOT DAMN), and what they were up to during the party.
> 
> Again, I'm behind. Oops? I hope you enjoy!

“The Karevs are having a New Year’s party.” Nico Kim announced, breaking the sleepy silence that had descended upon his bedroom.

“Hm? Oh yeah, I heard about that. Dark blue scrubs only.” Levi Schmitt, who had almost been asleep, turned to face Nico.

“Well, sort of. I get a plus one. So I was hoping at least one light blue scrub would be there.” Nico turned and gazed into Levi’s bright eyes, now heavy with tiredness.

“You gonna invite Deluca?” Levi yawned.

“No silly. I have on good authority there’s this one intern who is a great date.” Nico smiled coyly.

“Yeah, but I hear Casey has a girlfriend.” Levi teased some more.

“Are you gonna make me say it?” Levi quirked an eyebrow. “Levi, will you be my date to the Karevs’ party?”

“Aw, how sweet! But no.” Levi yawned again.

Nico’s smile faded. “No?”

“I’m supposed to be covering the ICU that night. So I will be ringing in the New Year actually in those light blue scrubs.” He lifted his hands in a mock cheer.

“Okay. I guess we’re spending New Year’s Eve in the ICU.” Nico shrugged.

“What?”

“There’s no way I’m starting the new year without you. So I’ll swing by the ICU and bring some sparkling cider and we’ll have our own little celebration.”

Levi gaped at him. “You’re incredible.” They shared a small kiss before Nico wrapped Levi up in his arms and they drifted off to sleep.

“Natasha’s speaking!” Levi almost yelled this announcement into Nico’s ear as soon as he picked up the phone.

“Oh wow, that’s great!” Nico knew how important this patient was to Levi.

“No. I mean, yes it’s great, but it also means that Dr. Grey wants to stay here with her.” There was no mistaking the smile in Levi’s voice. “I can come to the party!”

“You can?! That’s amazing! How about you get cleaned up and I’ll come get you at 11:15? That’ll give us at least a little bit of time at the party.” Nico was already laying out the suit he had planned to wear that night.

“Perfect! Perfect, perfect, perfect! I’ll see you soon, handsome!” Levi hung up the phone and practically bolted out of the hospital, hoping his nice dress shirt wasn’t too wrinkled.

 

Levi opened the door at Nico’s knock and immediately lost his breath. Nico has been looking down and lifted his head, his eyebrows raised slightly and a bright smile on his face. He looked like he had walked out of an ad for attractive men in suits. His suit was a classic black, but he had paired it with a thin burgundy tie and a burgundy shirt with a paisley pattern. It was definitely a good look. Levi could not contain his attraction and reached up to pull Nico in for a kiss.

When they pulled apart, Levi gave a sheepish smile. “Sorry. You just look… really good. Like, so good. Like. Wow.”

“Me? Look at you!” Nico indicated for Levi to give a spin, which he did, laughing at the silliness of the situation. “That color grey brings out your eyes. And you have a pocket square! Adorable!” Levi blushed. “I’m so going to have the hottest date there.”

“Nope, I’m afraid that’s me.” Levi laughed.

“Let’s compromise: we’ll be the hottest couple there.” Nico grabbed Levi’s hand. “Let’s go, you hottie.”

 

They pulled up to the Karevs’ apartment complex, just managing to get one of the last parking spots. Since they were arriving so late to the party, they figured they wouldn’t drink too much, just a bit of champagne at midnight. Plus, Levi was technically still on call so he needed to be sure he was sober in case he got called into the hospital.

Nico led Levi by the hand into the apartment, a big smile on his face. He couldn’t imagine a better way to ring in the New Year than with his snappily-dressed boyfriend at a party with all his friends. Andrew Deluca stopped Levi and Nico went ahead to grab a drink for them.

“Nico! Nico Kim!” Jo Karev was clearly a little drunk as she made her way over to Nico. “I’m so glad you could make it! You said you were bringing someone. Is he here?” She looked around to try to find his date.

Levi crept up behind Nico, intertwined their fingers, and leaned up to place a small kiss on his cheek. “Hey, sorry about that. Deluca just wanted to know why I wasn’t in the ICU.”

“Glasses!” Jo exclaimed excitedly.

“It’s Levi.” Nico responded curtly.

“Sorry! Levi! Levi’s your plus one? You two are…” She trailed off.

“Together? Yeah, we’re together.” Levi smiled fondly up at Nico.

“Cute! Drinks! Let me get you drinks!”

“Just soda for me. I’m technically on call.” Levi hastened to note.

Jo threw off a mock salute. “Aye aye!”

Drinks in hand, they came to stand at the edge of the party, happy to have a bit of space to themselves. Jo rushed through the crowd, proclaiming it to almost be midnight and everyone grabbed some champagne and a kissing partner for the countdown.

As the time ticked down, Nico turned to Levi, who was watching the party with a delighted smile. This was his opportunity to see his superiors and idols in a casual setting and let them see him as more than just a clumsy intern. Nico was so happy to have given him that chance. As the clock struck 12, he leaned over and whispered, “Happy New Year.”

“Shut up.” Levi teased as he grabbed Nico’s neck to pull him down for a kiss. They kissed for a few moments longer than was probably socially acceptable before pulling back and gazing lovingly at each other.

“This is the best New Year ever. I can’t believe I get to start the year with you.” Nico smiled wide.

“I’ve never had a New Year’s kiss. I’ve never had anyone I hoped to spend the next year with. But I want that with you. I want all the new years. I want your midnights.”

“Did you just quote Taylor Swift at me?” Nico gave small laugh.

Levi shrugged. “It felt appropriate.”

The two were soon pulled onto the dance floor, where they bopped around with the Karevs and Jackson for a while, laughing at how horrible all the doctors were at dancing. Levi’s dancing in particular was more just a bunch of jumping than actually dancing. But Nico thought he looked unbelievably adorable, which he made sure to tell him.

“Cheesy. So so cheesy!” Levi yelled over the music.

“Only for you. Always for you.” Levi stopped jumping to look into Nico’s eyes. Something intense and important passed between them, something neither was ready to put into words, but both knew they were feeling.

“Let’s go home.” Levi said abruptly, breaking them from their reverie.

“We haven’t been here that long.” Nico weakly protested.

“I know. But I want to be with you. Just you.” Levi grabbed Nico’s hand to lead him out of the party and make their way back to Nico’s apartment, both knowing the year ahead was uncertain but would most definitely include each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to find me on Tumblr at [theswiftiewholived](https://theswiftiewholived.tumblr.com/)!


End file.
